Piston draft prospects [Archive] - Message Board Basketball Forum

Nastradamus

03-16-2011, 02:43 PM

I thought I'd get a thread going. Looks like we'll be late lottery. Who do you guys like there? Some players of interest

Sullinger - likely gone, but I see him as a better passing Paul Milsap. He will struggle defensively, but I think he'd be a great 25-30 minute PF off the bench if Monroe is the starter at PF(but moving to C often).

Kanter - Again, likely gone, but he's my #1 or 2 target(Irving). Great basketball IQ, smooth offensive game and not afraid to get tough and physical. ESPN called him a taller Al Horford.

John Henson - has the length, athleticism and defensive accumen we need at Pf next to Monroe. Not very strong,but similar to Ed Davis last year, though Davis is better probably.

Markieff Morris - A tough, athletic big man. Very good rebounder and defender, won't ever have much polish offensively.

Darrius Morris - I threw him on here partially because he's a local guy, but I love him for the Pistons personally. I do NOT think he leaves this year at all, don't get me wrong. I definitely don't want him to leave either. However, he has the size/length Joe likes in his guards and he is a pass first PG, or at least turning into one. He is also developing as a shooter and it appears he will only get better. I tihnk he's everything we are missing at the point. Not ready yet, but if he comes out I'd rather snag him now and wait a yaer for him to develop. Who else is a better prospect at the point this year besides Irving?

Who else you guys like?

Kombo

03-16-2011, 06:18 PM

This year, I think any position is a possibility for us. Stuckey/Prince might both be S+T bait, and we only have developing young players at the 3(Daye) and then Monroe, who can start at the 4 or 5.

John Henson would be an interesting fit next to Monroe. He is super freaky long, and doesn't follow that often. Down the stretch he showed more intensity going for rebounds. Our front court would be rail thing, but it might be a fit.

Terrence Jones might be available for us. To me, he is a poor man's Josh Smith/Lamar Odom merged together. He'd be a combo forward. Might make a decent forward rotation if we're stuck with Charlie V forever. Daye could play the 3, Terrence the 4. Then Charlie the first forward off the bench, with either Daye/Jones staying at the 3. I wouldn't mind this pick, I like Jones a lot more than Aminu from last year, but I hated Aminu (there were rumors he was our target).

I think Kemba Walker is a possibility if we're giving up on Rodney or find a good trade partner (Stuckey + Prince for Jeff Green?). I don't like Kemba Walker as a pro player. I think he could be good, but I don't think he's a guy that'll be a championship type player. He could be exciting though, but our backcourt would be very short with Walker / Gordon. I guess I wouldn't be overly upset with Kemba, as even though he picked up his scoring volume this year, he showed (some) signs of improving efficiency as well.

Kawhi Leonard I think is an interesting prospect too. Reminds of Paul George in that he came slightly out of no where to a near lock for a top 12 pick. He'd play the 4 with Daye at the three. I'd be okay with us going with Leonard. We won't have any intimidators inside with Leonard/Monroe starting, but Leonard is an energy guy. Him and Jerebko could be very annoying to play against. If he could learn to shoot decently, he could be a real weapon for some team.

Just some thoughts...

el gringos

03-17-2011, 01:34 PM

kawai Leanord is not a pf in the nba- barely big enough to play the 3, and you would hope Terrance Jones would play the 3 as well.

Daye will eventually play pf

Nastradamus

03-17-2011, 08:11 PM

Leonard is just fine as a SF, he has very good length and athleticism to make up for the inch he lacks(6'7) for the 3 spot.

Jones is a PF most likely. Like the above poster said, he's a Josh Smith/Lamar Odom hybrid, maybe Anthony Randolph if he doesn't do well. He's a very good shotblocker with good size and athleticism. He could play some 3, but eventually will settle in as a 4 most likely.

I can't see Daye ever playing PF

I think I want the Pistons to take Kenneth Faried.

Nastradamus

03-25-2011, 12:55 PM

While I will probably be fascinated with the idea of Faried right up until draft time, as he has potential to be Ben v.2.0, damn it would be nice to get a top 3 pick and land Derrick Williams some how.

Kombo

03-25-2011, 02:01 PM

The Derrick Williams hype is flying now. I'm glad, he was my favorite prospect all year. He'd be a great fit in NJ or Washington.

I think the first 4 picks right now look like Kyrie, Sullinger, Williams and Jones.

A guy that has really helped his stock this tournament in Brandon Knight. He had that great game, and then a terrible game but came up big in crunch time. If he can have another good game tonight his stock will be very high, with some favoring him over Kemba due to size.

I'm disappointed by Kawhi Leonard. I don't know what I was expecting. He didn't have a terrible tournament, but he didn't do anything special either. I hope he goes back to school as he needs to learn how to shoot. That way he can play for a run and gun team and be a poor man's Marion. I think I had some blinders on.

I think you're right about Faried. I love Faried, to be honest I had never seen him play before this tournament. I think I like all players that remind me of Predator when they play... He could be rising too, especially if more players decide to go back to school (like Hamilton and Thompson from UT).

I think people will be disappointed if they pass on him. It seems too obvious he'll be a productive player. No reason he can't have at least Dejuan Blair's impact in this league with more defense.

Nastradamus

03-28-2011, 02:07 PM

well it sounds like Sullinger is going back for sure, but I agree on the rest of your post, especially on Leonard. Good player, but needs more work. Could be a Gerald Wallace with a little bit of a shot

idizzle

03-29-2011, 08:23 PM

I'm watching the NIT Final Four and they commentators say the Pistons are scouting Klay Thompson from Washington St and Alec Burk from Colorado. Both are SGs who can light it up.

Kombo

03-31-2011, 03:36 AM

I'm watching the NIT Final Four and they commentators say the Pistons are scouting Klay Thompson from Washington St and Alec Burk from Colorado. Both are SGs who can light it up.

Pretty interesting they'd take special note of that, seems like there would be a lot of scouts there. NBADraft.net has Alec Burks going 5th overall nowadays.

dd24

04-04-2011, 02:05 PM

We need to take the best player available regardless of position. We have guys who can play multiple positions right now so moving someone from PG to SG or from C to PF isn't a big deal. We need the best available player.

The Morris brothers should not be lottery picks. I'd be very upset if we took either of them.

I'm not sold on Kanter. Even Calipari said he wasn't as good as what Cousins was when he went there. It's so hard to judge him based on the fact that he didn't play in college this year too. I have to believe a guy that would've coached him.

With that said, I'm not really sold on any of these European big men that are all supposed to be lottery picks. At least one of them is going to be the next Darko, if not two of them. In Darko's defense, he has gotten better but with a fairly high lottery pick like Detroit will have this year I'm not looking for a guy who can only start on a handfull of teams. I want a solid starter that has the potential to be a star.

Sullinger we can quit talking about because he's not even in the draft and if he was he'd be too high of a pick for us.

I think there's a couple of guys who could go anywhere from 3-8 and could potentially fall to where the Pistons will be selecting.... Perry Jones and Harrison Barnes. I think these two guys (besides Irving) have the most star potential in the draft. They also could end up being mediocre. They are a gamble that will either end up really good or just role players. With as weak as this years draft is I think that's a gamble that needs to be taken. I don't like the way Barnes was used at UNC and actually think he'll fit much better into the NBA game. He started out the season slow but actually conformed to the system there where he was mainly used as just an outside shooter and started to do well with it. That tells me he's smart enough to fit in anywhere. I think Jones is a freakish athlete that will probably be more of a SF in the NBA. He could be a McGrady like scorer (pre-injury) if he works hard enough.

I'd also be fine with drafting Kemba Walker. He's probably the best player I've seen at UCONN and they've put plenty of guys in the NBA. He's not a pure PG but he is a scorer that can create his own shot and doesn't back down from a challenge. Detroit doesn't have anybody besides Stuckey who can create for himself. They really need another explosive scorer. I'd be fine with Stuckey moving to SG for a guy like Walker to start at PG. Maybe we could even trade BG at that point. If we could bring in another 1st round draft pick it would help out Detroit tremendously.

I'd also be happy with Jimmer (even though people don't think he's worth a pick that high). Again, he's an explosive scorer and a great shooter. I think he has the size and toughness to excel in the NBA at PG. The thing with him is not only did he score well but he made the people around him better. He still dished out a fair amount of assists too. I think his game is going to translate to the NBA better than most do. He's kind of like what Steph Curry was his last season in college. Most didn't think he'd be that good in the leauge.... I think he's proved them wrong.

John Henson is an interesting pick. He kind of reminds me of Austin Daye though. Daye is actually bigger. Henson will definitely need to put on a lot of size. He's a huge project. He showed signs of being a decent rebounder but I'm not sold yet. I'd say pass on him for what our team needs. Daye is further along than he is and is a better scorer.

Some think we might end up with Brandon Knight too. Again he's not a pure PG either. He was more of a scorer. I like his size and like I did mention above we do need another scorer. I wouldn't be upset if we ended up with him.

A lot of people think we might end up with Jujuan Johnson out of Purdue in the 2nd round too. I'd be elated if that happened. I think for a 2nd rounder he has a good chance of making it in the NBA. I thought he did a spectacular job for Purdue this year. He could still add another 10-15 pounds and probably will. The thing I like about him is he rebounds well and blocks shots. Those are numbers that always translate from the college game to the NBA. He's not limited offensively either. It kind of makes me wonder why he's not projected as a late 1st rounder....

We never know..... Joe D could be looking to move up in this draft too. We need to see exactly where everyone will be picking. This year it might be easier to move up since right now people are saying this isn't a good draft. While overall it is somewhat weak there still are some really good players to be had in the lottery. Detroit isn't going to land FA's. I know we all think of it as a great destination but the fact of the matter is they will need to hire a new head coach, haven't won in a couple years, and the city has really got a bad reputation in the press. I can't remember the last time a star FA signed in Detroit. BG and Charlie don't count, Webber was at the end of his career, Sheed was traded for..... I think the only way we're going to get better is through a trade and/or the draft. Besides we won't really have much money this year anyhow. I think if we can resign Stuckey (and maybe T-Mac) and make a good move in the draft it will greatly help things out. Prince could be on his way out still. I know Joe D said he wanted to keep him but I'm not sold on the fact that Prince wants to stay yet. Let's try to get as high of a pick as we can and get the best player available regardless of position.

Nastradamus

04-04-2011, 02:28 PM

I agree that we need to kind of ignore position. I probably wouldn't take the Morris twins in the lottery either, though I'd start thinking about Markieff at the end of the lottery. I just don't know Marcus' position.

I'd take the chance on Kanter probably. No, he's not as good as Cousins, but he's better at certain things and a better fit. He's not a headcase and he's physical and a good defender, which Cousins is not. While Kanter is skilled, he'll never be the elite scoring big Cousins will be if he lasts in the league. He'd be a great pair with Monroe up front and there just aren't enough good bigs in this draft to pass on one of his talent, considering our position.

Draft Kemba and trade him to Philly for Jrue Holliday(we'll include more probably)? I've always coveted Holliday and I don't think he fits in Philly's future plans. Put Kemba with a guy like Turner who can run the piont and I think you have something really dangerous.

I'd rather not tough Henson or Knight. I'm not big on combo guards and I don't know what Henson can play at this level. He's a backup big, energy off the bench I think. He can't start for the type of team I'd like to build.

Screwy as he is, it'd be too hard to pass on Perry Jones. he and Daye would be an interesting combo at the F spots and occasionally the 2/3

dd24

04-04-2011, 02:46 PM

DetroitPiston

04-04-2011, 04:03 PM

This is looking like a very weak draft. No one really stands out that I'd like, regardless of need or potential.

dd24

04-04-2011, 05:32 PM

This is looking like a very weak draft. No one really stands out that I'd like, regardless of need or potential.

There's always going to be some difference makers though. At the bottom of the 1st round and through the 2nd round it is weak. I think when people are saying it's weak they mean in depth. People also said the 2009 draft class was weak (outside of Griffin). Then we saw what guys like Evans, Curry, DeRozan, Jennings, Daye, Holiday, Lawson, Collison, Beubois, Jerebko, etc, etc, etc did for their teams. I think it's all about being smart and trying to get the best guy. There's a few people in this draft that will be stars. We just have to do our homework and try to nab one of them.

Nastradamus

04-05-2011, 04:45 PM

If I knew for sure Kanter would be a great defender and rebounder I'd draft him ahead of any of the other players I talked about. I don't need my C to be a great scorer, especially when you have a guy like Monroe who will probably end up getting about 20ppg. I need my C to be a guy to lock down the middle. I'm not certain Kanter is that guy yet. Maybe there will be some footage between now and draft time that can persuade me. The Europeans are so hard to judge because we never see them....

If we could get a guy like Jrue Holliday I'd do that too. I'm not sure Philly wants to trade him though. I really like his game though he hasn't progressed as much as I thought he would this year.

i think its been hard on Jrue because they take the ball out of his hands a lot. He has the size, shooting, defense and ability to run an offense that we want in our PGs though. He could be another Chauncey type IMO. i don't know what we could give for him though.

Nobody knows for sure if Kanter can be a great defender/rebounder, but I think we are in position to take that gamble. We don't need perimeter guys and there are no other defensive Centers in the draft. Kanter has size,physicality,skill and great BB IQ. Not much tape,but he's practiced against Kentucky's talented team and has always done well when he's played over in Euorpe, at the Nike thing etc. It depends on the situation, but I think we would be hard pressed to pass and that's not because I think Kanter is a sure thing or anything like that.

I could see a scenario where he falls to 7 too, especially if Kemba moves up, which I can see at this point honestly. Irving,Williams,Valanciunas,Vessely,Walker,Burks,J ones and Montejunias and maybe another guy or 2 like Jimmer,Knight or T.Jones all have potential to go ahead of us. odds are it doesn't play out that way, but who knows.

Nastradamus

04-05-2011, 04:49 PM

There's always going to be some difference makers though. At the bottom of the 1st round and through the 2nd round it is weak. I think when people are saying it's weak they mean in depth. People also said the 2009 draft class was weak (outside of Griffin). Then we saw what guys like Evans, Curry, DeRozan, Jennings, Daye, Holiday, Lawson, Collison, Beubois, Jerebko, etc, etc, etc did for their teams. I think it's all about being smart and trying to get the best guy. There's a few people in this draft that will be stars. We just have to do our homework and try to nab one of them.

its rare in the NBA, but I'd love to trade down for 2 guys. Gimme Faried and Darius Morris or something like that. Probably not those 2, but I'd love for Faried to be one of them.

dd24

04-05-2011, 08:29 PM

its rare in the NBA, but I'd love to trade down for 2 guys. Gimme Faried and Darius Morris or something like that. Probably not those 2, but I'd love for Faried to be one of them.

I think in a draft like this you have to trade up. This draft isn't deep enough to trade down. I like Faried, but not enough to trade down for him. We need a potential superstar player. We have none on this team right now. If we were able to move up into the top 3 we'd have a much better chance. Honestly, I like what the Cavs did by getting another lottery pick this year. If they end up getting the top pick and say something like #10 they'll have some nice pieces to build around. They might even be ahead of us at that point. They realize nobody wants to play in Cleveland so they're going to have to draft them :). I think it's the smart thing for teams who aren't Miami, NY, or LA to do.... In order for us to get better we really need to grab one of the stars of this draft, regardless of position. Then hopefully we could trade off what we don't need for players we could use (or expirers) and hopefully more picks down the road.

Nastradamus

04-06-2011, 08:00 PM

dd24

04-06-2011, 08:13 PM

Well i think trading up might be tough. What do we give? I also think there wont' be a potential superstar available at the 7 area. If someone grades out well, then things change. I'm not saying trading down is my #1 choice, but I could see it being a good idea depending on the situation.

First we have to hope there's a new CBA reached otherwise the NBA draft will be like the NFL draft where we won't see players getting traded. The Pistons have assets they are willing to move. I could see a Prince sign and trade happening. If he's going to walk they're going to try to get something for him. I think Joe D will also do his best to move Rip. If Ben Wallace decides to retire they could also move his expiring contract. We could all cross our fingers that BG was moved :lol

It will be tough to get another high level player at 7 again. First we need to see where the balls end up. Maybe we luck out and end up with a really high pick anyway. More than likely that won't happen but we can only hope. It's not like the team with the worst record typically gets the #1 pick. That's how the Wizards got Wall last year.... I don't think the Cavs are a lock for the #1 pick. They're the most likely but that doesn't mean it will happen. If we did somehow end up at #7 (again), there are a few guys that I think might fall and and end up like Monroe for us. I see Perry Jones and Harrison Barnes as guys that might be like that. They have really high ceilings, but people might shy away because they have the potential to be mediocre too. I'd be willing to take the risk.

Nastradamus

04-06-2011, 08:56 PM

dd24

04-06-2011, 09:40 PM

Certainly a lot depends on the CBA and who we are able to trade. If Prince,Rip and TMac are all gone, we may end up needing another SG/SF or 2. If we trade Rip for a PG or PF it will change our plans and so on.

Exactly, right now we really don't have a huge need but that might change with a trade or free agency. Though I still think this draft is more about getting the best available guy.

dd24

04-12-2011, 01:06 PM

I would have never guessed so many people would make the decision to stay in college another year. This is officially a really bad draft. I can see a lot of lottery teams trying to trade down now. Perry Jones just announced he was returning to Baylor.... It doesn't make much sense because he would have likely been a top 5 pick and Baylor's top recruit coming in plays a similiar game to his. With Barnes seeming like he won't be entering the draft either and Sullinger officially staying it makes drafting 7th look pretty bad this year. Kanter will likely be a top 5 pick now, which he probably shouldn't be. I think it means we'll probably end up with Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker now. I wasn't for trading down when I originally thought all of these players would have been smart enough to come out rather than wait until next year where they probably won't get drafted as high because it's a deeper draft. Now I'm thinking the best option might not just be to move down but maybe totally out of the first round. I guess nobody likes the thought of potentially getting drafted by Cleveland or Minnesota :lol

Kombo

04-12-2011, 03:07 PM

So many people staying, probably the smart move for the kids, not knowing what will happen next year with a lock out.

I'm drinking the Kool Aid at this point, I've fallen in love with a guy I hadn't heard of several days ago. I think most of it comes from me wanting to shout his name.... BIYOMBOOOOOOOOOO

The novelty will probably wear off by the end of the week though...

There is a nice highlight video here from the nike hoops summit: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/04/bismack_biyombo_sets_records_w.html

Kemba or Knight would be alright, just a little disappointing because hopefully we won't be picking in the top 10 for much longer. Maybe Kahn will trade us 'sota's 2012 pick so they can pick both of them :)

Nastradamus

04-12-2011, 04:05 PM

Well I think Kemba and Knight are probalby the 2 least likely guys we would draft but that's just me. I think I want Vessely or Biyombo(sleeper). That Biyombo kid is blowing me away lately. He's from the Congo if you haven't heard of him. He just dominated the Nike Hoops summit. About 6'9, NBA body, about 5' more of a wingspan than Monroe though. Extremely intense and athletic on defense. Lots of Ben Wallace comparisons, more than Faried even as he is more athletic and more of a shot blocker. Huge gamble, but aren't we in position to do something like that at 7 rather than take some safe combo guard who won't help us win?

Vessely is like another AK 47 and he and Daye would make for an interesting forward combo. 2 6'11 guys at F would help you cover a lot of ground

Perry Jones wasn't ready. Smart move. He needs to learn what position he'll play and generally how to use that talent

dd24

04-12-2011, 05:01 PM

I think there's a chance that Vesely could fall to us, but I actually think his stock is going up and he could get drafted before we have a chance to pick him. With that said, I'm not completely sold on him yet either. Although, I think he does have the best highlight films of all the European prospects including Kanter. I think there's more "upside and potential" with Vesely than the other Europeans. Some people have him projected as high as #3 now.... (which really shows how bad this draft has become over the last few weeks).

The person I really don't want is Donatas Motiejunas. I've been doing some searching around on all the European guys and he is the one that really looks like he could be a bust. There was one of his highlight films that really didn't even show him playing basketball.... That tells me he doesn't have the experience or a good enough game. If you can't even put together a good highlight film there's a problem. Even high schoolers can do that.

We need to think about this... Williams and Irving are obviously going 1 and 2. There's nothing really left after that. So you know Kanter will end up getting drafted, probably Jan Vesely, and someone will more than likely be dumb enough to grab Donatas Motiejunas. That's still only 5 picks (and I'm not saying that's 1-5 in any order). So that really only leaves guys like Walker, Knight, and Jonas Valanciunas. One of the Morris twins will probably sneak up a little higher too (of which I hope we don't draft either).

I watched the Nike Hoop Summit this past Saturday night. Sure Biyombo had a nice game. I wasn't that impressed with the international team. They actually had a ton more size than the US team. The US team was going to have a tough time inside any way around it. They only had that one guy who was a legit big man. Everybody else was pretty under sized playing out of position. I'm not going to say I'm sold on him because of one game. He did some decent things in Europe. Rebounding is one thing that always translates when heading to the NBA and so is shot blocking. He could be a liablility on offense. He definitely has a lot to learn yet. If Kanter somehow dropped (since some think Valanciunas might go before him) I'd take him first.

Overall I'm still kind of up in the air with who I want with the draft. :confusedshrug: I'm not overly excited with anyone, anymore.

What is everyone's thoughts on the 2nd round? If JuJuan Johnson doesn't get picked up I'd love to take a chance on him. Other than that I was actually thinking about Shelvin Mack or Darius Morris. I like big PG's and I think they have a chance. Plus I kind of like the idea of just stacking up on a whole bunch of the same position in the 2nd round (last year we had White), because we all know most 2nd rounders don't typically make it in the league. At least with drafting 2 or 3 guys at the same position in the 2nd round there's the hope that at least one of them is a guy who will make the rotation. There's also Jeremy Tyler (if anyone has ever heard about him). He's the big kid from San Diego that decided to skip college and go pro overseas. He was projected to be a lottery pick and then had a tough time adjusting as a 17/18 year old over there and just didn't fit in so his stock fell. I actually think he might be worth a gamble. Some mock drafts have him at the end of the 1st round, some have him at the very end of the 2nd round.

Nastradamus

04-13-2011, 05:29 PM

I'm not a fan of Mack at all. I do like Morris as I've mentioned though and I'd love to take the gamble on Tyler and his talent. Why not with 2 2nd rounders and a dearth of talent up front.

Unless the contract situation becomes an issue, Valanciunas is definitely going before Montejunias. You seemed to have it backwards, not sure if it was an accident or not though.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone will move up after workouts and such.

dd24

04-15-2011, 06:56 PM

The other thing we need to keep in mind is there will probably be some trades before July 1st. That's when the players can lock out because of the CBA and owners will be looking to make moves before that date potentially. I think we could see Joe D finally make some moves. He could package our pick with Rip, BG, or Tay (in a sign and trade). If it brings in a really good player I wouldn't be upset with that, since it's going to be much more difficult to find a good player if we end up at #7.... I guess we'll find out May 17th.

dd24

04-24-2011, 05:51 PM

[QUOTE]If the Cavs have interest in Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight (6-foot-3, 170 pounds)

Nastradamus

04-24-2011, 09:09 PM

I don't see us taking a PG any way or any how. Fredette is a Ben Gordon clone more than a Stephen Curry clone and Knight isn't enough value at 7. I think we need a PF too much to avoid one this draft, when a decent PF will be available most likely IMO.

OTOH, it depends on how guys like Knight and Walker test out. How does their athleticism look at the combine, how is their shooting stroke,work ethic, basketball IQ, measurements etc.? Scoring PGs are becoming the way of the league lately, so its possible we may look at one I suppose, if they look like a true All Star caliber player. I highly doubt Kemba or Knight ends up better than Stuckey though. I like Stuckey's size better and they are all similar as scorers really. Stuckey's probably the best defender in the bunch and seems like he may have figured out the PG position finallly, at least a little. It took Chauncey quite a while too.

dd24

04-24-2011, 10:09 PM

Trust me, I agree. I'm not one of the people who wanted to take a PG. If we do take one I hope it's Knight or Fredette. I've been a Stuckey supporter at PG all along. He put up good numbers this year. The only thing I can think is management must think having Jerebko next to Monroe is better than the other big guys they could draft.... Or maybe they don't have any intention of matching an offer for Stuckey???

I've read up quite a bit on Vesely and he seems like he's pretty legit. I think if he's still available wherever we're picking at Joe D will have a hard time not drafting him. The problem is he's more than likely going to be gone at #7. I like Knights size and athleticism. He put together a pretty good tournament too. He seems like he'll be good at the next level. If we ended up with him I wouldn't be totally disappointed. It's tough to figure this draft class out.

Kombo

04-24-2011, 10:31 PM

I'm in the boat that DOES want a PG. The problem is, I don't want these PGs. All of these guys (to me) seem like guys who will play the one, just because they're too short to play the two. I'd want a true PG.

It's hard to find quality bigs. While we're picking in the lottery, I'd like to take as many 4's and 5's as possible. As bad as we've been the last two years, we're really not too far away from being at least a low playoff seed. At that point, it's easier to acquire serviceable guards than it is big guys.

Nastradamus

04-26-2011, 06:54 PM

agreed Kombo. I want to stock up on big man talent. However, I would take a PG if there was a good true PG available. I don't see it though. It'd probably have to be a trade for someone like Rubio. Paul is probably a pipedream as we lack ammo.

dd24

04-26-2011, 07:11 PM

I don't see the Pistons being able to get Rubio. If he doesn't want to go to Minnesota why would he go to Detroit? Initially he wanted to get traded to a big market like NY, LA, etc. Now he's said he wants to play in Minnesota. I think that means Flynn will get traded but at this point there's no indication Rubio would be traded. Also there's nothing that says he's going to be great. Didn't he just have a mediocre season this year?

I think we really need to see where we're going to be drafting. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on exactly who we should go for without knowing that. We may be in a spot where we can't go after a decent big man. It might be something where we just have to go after the best player available regardless of position.

idizzle

05-10-2011, 07:09 PM

PistonS looking at getting a PG

http://www.freep.com/article/20110510/SPORTS03/105100409/Pistons-draft-pick-trickier-than-usual-after-withdrawals

dd24

05-10-2011, 09:35 PM

Yup, Knights name seems to be one that keeps coming up with the Pistons and the draft. I just don't think he'll be available at #7 necessarily. I've seen mock drafts where he's still there but it's slim.

Nastradamus

05-10-2011, 09:43 PM

Knight woudl be interesting but its not what I'd really prefer at this point. There are a lot of PFs in this draft that would fit next to Monroe and at least one of them should be there at 7. Especially if Knight and/or Kemba goes top 6. I want one of Biyombo,Vessely,Kanter or Thompson I think. I would have considered Terrence Jones probably too, though he's a huge risk type. Probably a little too high for Markieff Morris or Faried.

dd24

05-10-2011, 09:48 PM

I'd take Kanter of Vessely if they dropped to us. I think they might go earlier too.... Biyombo is a huge risk. There's potential there because he is 18 but he's really only had that one good game that got people excited. I need to see more. Hopefully there will be some predraft workout stuff with him. I feel like there's at least a guy or two in every draft like Thompson. I wouldn't be too excited if we picked him up. I think Joe D is thinking Jerebko is the starter next year at PF. If Kanter or Vessely drops I'm sure he'd take them but other than that I think he's looking at Knight right now. I think he might be a very very good player in this league. Like I said before I wanted to go a different route than this too. Now that we've officially seen so many guys pull out of the draft this might be what we have to do. It makes it really hard for the bottom teams to get better this year.

Sterlingsucks

05-11-2011, 05:57 AM

If you stay put at 7 I would go after Brandon Knight the PG from Kentucky if he is not available I would reach for Klay Thompson SG Washington St. or Jordan Hamilton, Move Austin Daye to the 3 because he will NEVER be a 4 or a 2 and pray that Rodney Stuckey can finally put the sh*t together !! I would go BUT I don't know if he lasts unless you get one of the Lottery Top 3 picks. If you get Top 3 the obvious choices are PG Kyrie Irving, SF/PF Derrick Williams and PF/C Enes Kanter. PF/C Bismack Biyombo is about as big of a boom or bust prospect there is some say he can become a Serge Ibaka type player or he might just be nothing more than a hustle player

Nastradamus

05-11-2011, 03:27 PM

DD I think you are being a little hard on Thompson first of all. Seems like he has the makings of a top flight starting PF for me.

Jerebko may start at the 4(though start is a term I'd use loosely if that is in fact the case), but ideally he competes with Daye at the 3(and maybe TMac or something) and basically split time at the F spots, providing energy and a matchup edge where its needed.

We need a legit 4 to start next to Monroe. A Monroe/JJ frontcourt isn't going to take you to contention. We need an athletic defender who can not only block shots, but cover ground against the pick and roll and the like. If not a great athlete, he needs to be a strong post presense offensively and defensively.

A guy like Biyombo is a HUGE gamble. No argument here. However, his ceiling, is exactly the player we need. He might not be 100% ideal, but you don't get a chance at a player like him at 7 if he is fully developed, so there is your catch 22.

This is what our board is going to look like to some degree. In some manner, at 7(to 9), we're going to get a solid player. It will depend on not only our preference, but the preference of those in front of us.

Kyrie Irving
Derrick Williams
Enes Kanter
Jan Vessely
Biyombo
Thompson
Knight/Walker
Montejunias/Valanciunas

I believe at least one if not 2 of the last 4 will go in front of us. Burks and/or Thompson also has a shot to jump our pick if someone needs a SG. Burks shows a lot of potential at this level. Someone could even fall in love with Jimmer, as Ben Gordon, the most similar comparison, went top 5 I believe.

dd24

05-11-2011, 05:29 PM

Here's also what I'm thinking (in regards to a big man). This year this is who's available (and worth taking a look at potentially):

Glen Davis
Tyson Chandler
Nene Hilario
Yao Ming
Deandre Jordan
David West
Samuel Dalembert
Hopefully nobody mentions Fesenko! I still think that's a bad idea. In a season where Utah needed a C like crazy the guy still couldn't crack the lineup. He doesn't have the heart and is never in shape.

2012:
Javale McGee
Kevin Love
Anthony Randolph
Andrew Bynum
Roy Hibbert
Kevin Garnett

To get a player like Knight and then go after another big man could be worth it too. Or whomever might become available through a trade too. There's a lot of people who think the Kings or Jazz are going to take Knight & Walker. The Jazz don't make sense to me because they have Devin Harris who is a very good PG. The Kings could potentially but there's a few holes they could try to plug too.

As far as my list of guy to go after it's similiar but not the same:
Kyrie Irving
Derrick Williams
Enes Kanter
Jan Vessely
Brandon Knight
Jonas Valanciunas
Kemba Walker
Alec Burks
Bismack Biyombo
Jordan Hamilton
Jimmer Fredette
Kenneth Faried
Tristan Thompson

Here's my thing with Thompson.... some list him at 6'8" and other list him at 6'9". Either way it's a touch short for a PF. 6'9" PF's are available in every draft and every one of those guys has "potential". I do like that he rebounds and plays defense well because those are things that do translate to the NBA. He's just a really bad shooter and doesn't have any offensive game outside the block. What makes it worse is he's such a bad free throw shooter than I don't expect him to ever really have a good midrange game. Right now the Pistons desperately lack a 2nd scoring option behind Stuckey. Stuckey is the only guy who can create his own shot. We'll see more from Monroe as time goes on but he doesn't create at this point. I want a guy with more scoring potential. The only reason he could possibly crack the top 10 is because so many people pulled out of the draft. I think he really could end up being a bust.

The other thing is I really am hoping a guy like Jujuan Johnson or Jeremy Tyler falls to us in the 2nd round. I would rather gamble on the potential there. I really think we need to just try to grab the best player available with this pick since things are so slim this year.

Also, Jerebko really is more of a PF and from everything Joe D has been saying is it sounds like he's going to try to match whatever offer he gets and bring him back to play that specific position. He's 2 inches taller and weighs about 10 pounds more than Thompson. I think Daye will ultimately be the SF, though if we resign T-Mac there's the possibility he could be there too. Of course this is all based on us thinking Tay is going to leave. If Tay stays we know one of the younger pieces will probably be moved with Rip.

I think Burks is a guy who should be top 7 too. He's a guy that can score and it seems like it will translate to the NBA. I would think a team like Utah would really want him in their back court with Harris. If he dropped to us at 7 and the other bigs were taken I wouldn't mind picking him. At that point they could have a fire sale on BG and put him and Stuckey in the back court. At least we'd be set back there. We have to remember, not only do we need another big man..... we also need another guard. Stuckey is the only guard we have on the roster worthy of starting (besides T-Mac but that's not a long term solution and he can only play so many minutes). There's a reason Detroit has been experimenting with Daye at SG.... it's because we really need help in the back court too and his game is the one that's versatile enough to play that many positions.

I've got Biyombo up there on my list. He's the guy I could handle taking a gamble on. If we really needed to that is. Most of those project type guys just don't make it in the league.

I do have a high standard for a top 7 pick. Not all of them are all-stars and I realize this. But looking back on about the last 4 drafts teams have been so much smarter with their scouting. There isn't a top 7 pick who could really be considered a total bust. They're all solid players in the NBA. I think the exception could be 2006 with Adam Morrison but I don't really consider him a bust. He was a solid scorer in the league who ended up with a really bad injury. I think some might argue Evan Turner last year but I think he's still going to end up being a solid player. 2008 everybody was solid. Even 2007 with Greg Oden I don't see him ending up as a bust. Injuries have got the best of him so far but when he was healthy and playing he was pretty good. I think we'll actually see him back healthy next year.

In all I guess there's a lot of questions to be answered, lol. I guess the first one will be answered shortly, May 17th. Once we know where we're picking (and everyone else) it will help clear up some of this.

dd24

05-11-2011, 08:34 PM

[QUOTE]Bad news for the Detroit Pistons: Big men Jan Vesely, Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo and Donatas Motiejunas are not scheduled to take part in the 2011 NBA draft combine in Chicago next week.

The good news? Everyone else the Detroit Pistons would likely consider taking with their first-round pick is scheduled to be there.

The NBA released a list of participants for the camp Wednesday, and Vesely, Valanciunas, Biyombo and Motiejunas were the most notable players missing from the list.

Enes Kanter, a 6-foot-10 center from Turkey who sat out his entire freshman season at Kentucky after being ruled ineligible, is scheduled to take part in the combine.

Keith Benson of Oakland University and Darius Morris of the University of Michigan also will take part.

The annual pre-draft camp will take place May 18-22 in Chicago. The Pistons, who finished with the seventh-worst record in the NBA last season, will find out which pick they will have in the draft Tuesday when the NBA holds its annual draft lottery.

The Pistons are most likely to pick either seventh or eighth but could pick in the top three spots if they get lucky in the lottery. There is also an outside chance they could pick as low as 10th if things don't go their way.

The Pistons selected Greg Monroe seventh overall last season after they stayed put in the seventh spot in the lottery.

The Pistons have held no individual workouts for potential draft picks at the practice facility at the Palace thus far. Last season, they held a handful of group workouts for potential second-round picks prior to the pre-draft camp in Chicago, but they have no plans to host any player workouts prior to the combine this season.

The Pistons will hold individual workouts for potential first- and second-round picks between the time the pre-draft camp ends and the draft, which is scheduled for June 23.

The Pistons did not have a representative at a recent pre-draft camp in New Jersey after several players pulled out in the days prior to the workout. Many of those players took part in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in early April in Portsmouth, Virginia. The Pistons were represented there.

Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars also was in Slovenia shortly after the season ended to scout international prospects.

Key dates

Nastradamus

05-13-2011, 12:43 PM

I'd love Fesenko myself, as long as he is nothing mroe than Monroe's backup. His plus/minus was huge for Utah this year. His size and defense down low make it hard to get easy buckets and he's a thug you can use on the top Centers. He doesn't compare to someone like Nene though. However, he reminds me some of Perkins before he got good. I could see him similarly breaking out.

On Jerebko, you are probably right. However, my issue is that I don't see him as a full time starting PF. Depends who the rest of the big rotation is.

I agree on Burks. Best SG in the class and a legit scorer and starer in this league.
You may be right on Thompson, but I am thinking defense,athleticism,shotblocking when I think about our PF. Scoring would be nice too, but its secondary for me.

I don't think Daye is ready to start at SF, at the least he needs to share the spot with a vet. Mcgrady,Prince,Battier, whoever. OTOH, it could be a sort of 3 way split between Daye,Rip and Jerebko I guess. I'd like to have one true SF on the roster though. Summers doesn't cut it.

I'm going to put this next part as gently as possible. ADAM MORRISON WAS TURRIBLE!

Nastradamus

05-14-2011, 02:05 PM

Something I want to address here is the PG class. It was touted as this terrible PG class, but now it appears at least 3 will go in the top 10(Irving,Knight,Walker) and maybe 4 in the lottery(Shelby soaring). If you count Jimmer its even better. Not only that, there are some interesting late 1st options as well.

Morris - Obviously we've discussed him, but he seems to be blowing away scouts. One site had an article about how he got some writers together and wanted to show off his dunking to them. They said he threw down some of the hardest dunks of anyone in the draft and generally impressed with his athleticism. The biggest draw with him is his playmaking ability and pass first mentality. Good size and defensive ability with a nice shooting stroke(compared to Andre Miller and everyone seems to agree that Morris is a better shooter than he was coming out, for some perspective).

Reggie Jackson - This kid is really drawing my attention. 6'3, solid athlete and most impressively a 7' wingspan. A HUGE key in today's game is being able to defend these athletic, penetrating PGs and he has that ability. Did a good job improving his A/TO last year, has good court vision and can shoot. Needs to improve his build and decision making while continuing to work on his shooting as well.

Malcolm Lee - A big guard, which Joe likes. Didn't look like a PG or a very good one at least, at UCLA. However, either did guys like Holliday and Westbrook. He has been very impressive in workouts and could be a lot better in a less restrictive system. Maybe a combo guard though, in the Stuckey mold really.

Nolan Smith - Showed the ability to transition to the PG spot. Can defend,shoot and slash at a high level. Average athleticism and quickness, not a pure PG at this point. Outstanding leader, a guy you want on your team.

Some may like guys like Josh Selby or Shelvin Mack as well.

dd24

05-14-2011, 03:16 PM

I think there will be a few good PG's in this draft. That's why I wasn't opposed to taking one, like Knight if he drops to us. The more I think about it, the more I think we need help in the back court and not the front court. Sure we were over loaded with guards last year but we just didn't have enough of them that played well. Couple that with how Rip got benched and we really didn't help ourselves. I know Detroit is all about defense but right now we have nobody besides Stuckey who can put the ball in the bucket. If someone like Tyler or Johnson isn't available for our 2nd round pick but a guy like Mack is I would definitely draft him. After all, he did lead a team to the championship game this year and was a big part of getting them there last year. Selby is a SG and only 6'1". I don't know if people are saying he's changing positions now but I don't see him making it in the NBA. He'd really have to learn some new skills. I also think Jimmer isn't getting enough hype. I don't know if he'll be an all-star but the guy can score. The way he created space for himself and used his size as a PG is something that will translate to any level. He's going to be a solid player for someone in this league. I'm not saying we should draft him at #7 but anywhere past about 9 or 10 will be a good deal for some team.

dd24

05-14-2011, 03:19 PM

By the way I just played the lottery at espn.com and the Pistons got the first pick and took Derrick Williams :D Personally I would have took Kyrie Irving but just the thought that I pressed the button once for poops and laughs and we got the first pick makes me believe it's not completely impossible :banana:

Nastradamus

05-14-2011, 03:59 PM

Nastradamus

05-14-2011, 03:59 PM

dd24

05-14-2011, 04:09 PM

Rip and Gordon can both put the ball in the bucket, lets not get silly here. Mvoing one of them will be an addition by subtraction situation IMO. They hamper each others games.

I just do not want Knight. Don't understand what his role would be on this team or how he helps us. We need to improve our size, post scoring, defense and assist rate/ball movement.

Rip can but he doesn't create his own shot and like I mentioned before he was benched quite a bit last year..... BG hasn't shown us anything yet. He's been a bust as a Piston. Plus he's just too small to be a starter in this league. We need a solid starting back court. We don't have it right now. You can't tell me you think a back court of Stuckey and Gordon is getting a team to the finals.

Don't get me wrong, I think we need help in the front court too. I just think we need less there and it's easier to address with a trade. Of course who we draft all depends on where we're picking anyhow. After Tuesday we'll have a much better idea of what direction we'll be headed.

dd24

05-18-2011, 01:50 AM

If we would have held at #7 and with the teams in their order of percentage, I would have thought Kanter, Knight, or Vessely could have fallen. The way the lottery played out today and based on teams needs if they draft with just half a brain cell it doesn't look like that will happen. That #8 pick just doesn't look too good right now. I think the best move would be to risk it and try to package Rip, BG, or Charlie with that pick and try to move up, otherwise I wouldn't be upset if they tried to move down. The one thing that could change things is if Cleveland is really stupid and doesn't draft Irving #1. Cleveland does need a PG. Davis is old. But if they draft Williams for some reason Minnesota really doesn't need a PG because they have Rubio coming. Then people will fall. The other thing I see is Minnesota doesn't necessarily need a SF since they have Beasley and he was pretty solid last season. They really need a C so if they draft Kanter it doesn't mix too much up. Then Utah would just draft Williams and things would fall in order. Cleveland might want to trade that #4 pick but I doubt they will for some reason. I guess at 8 we'll end up with Jonas Valanciunas or Bismack Biyombo. I'm almost more inclined to want to gamble on Valanciunas.

dd24

05-18-2011, 12:39 PM

Apparently Minnesota is very open to trading the 2nd pick in the draft because they want some veterans. Maybe Rip + #8 for something & #2?

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 02:38 PM

Rip can but he doesn't create his own shot and like I mentioned before he was benched quite a bit last year..... BG hasn't shown us anything yet. He's been a bust as a Piston. Plus he's just too small to be a starter in this league. We need a solid starting back court. We don't have it right now. You can't tell me you think a back court of Stuckey and Gordon is getting a team to the finals.

Don't get me wrong, I think we need help in the front court too. I just think we need less there and it's easier to address with a trade. Of course who we draft all depends on where we're picking anyhow. After Tuesday we'll have a much better idea of what direction we'll be headed.

Our team was a disaster last year, but I'm not buying that Rip and Ben can't play any more. Ben has already shown that he can not only start for a playoff team, but be its leading scorer and Rip, when he got to play, produced just fine. I see him having a Ray Allen-esque career finish myself.

I'm not sure Stuckey/Gordon is a pure championship backcourt, but I can see them being 2 of our 3 main Gs. Same for Stuckey/Rip. one of Rip/Ben has to go, ideally for a PG.

No matter what, I do not want a scoring guard in this draft. I'll take a defensive or pass oriented G or an athletic F, either spot.

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 02:40 PM

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 02:41 PM

Apparently Minnesota is very open to trading the 2nd pick in the draft because they want some veterans. Maybe Rip + #8 for something & #2?

If we took on Webster and maybe Darko for them, they'd probably take Rip's salary on. What else do we include? Next year first unprotected? Do we want Williams/Kanter that bad?

dd24

05-18-2011, 02:45 PM

dd24

05-18-2011, 02:52 PM

If we took on Webster and maybe Darko for them, they'd probably take Rip's salary on. What else do we include? Next year first unprotected? Do we want Williams/Kanter that bad?

No other draft picks for sure. Players and this years pick. Next years pick will be too good to give away. It'll be a much deeper draft and even if we pick 10-15 it could potentially bring us a player that will be better than what we get this year. College basketball is stacked next year. The draft classes that some of these teams have coming in next year in addition with what they already have coming back is pretty incredible. Duke is going to lose their two best players in Irving and Smith and they're still going to have more talent on their roster next year... I wouldn't trade a potential 2012 lottery pick unless it was for a player that we knew would be special.

The other thing I see is Darko wouldn't want to come back to Detroit. He really didn't like it here. I wouldn't actually mind having him back. I think he's turned into a fairly decent player and we could use him. I don't think he's quite the bust that everybody makes him out to be. I also don't think he has the work ethic or the killer instinct to ever be a stud in the league, but like I said I think he's still a decent player who just had too many people in front of him at the time here in Detroit.

The benefit to Minnesota with getting Rip is he would be the best player involved in the trade and could help them now. He's also a proven winner and a guy with a good work ethic that could help the younger guys.

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 02:59 PM

Ben has had every opportunity and has shown me nothing. It's time for him to step up or get shipped out. I think Rip does have game left. I've always said that. What I mentioned in that quote there though is he does not create his own shot. That's never been his game. He needs others to help him create and then he gets the ball in the bucket. Right now Detroit needs someone who can create their own shot. The same thing goes for Ben and it's what I mentioned in that quote. I'm not saying the guy is terrible. He's one of the pieces teams inquire the most about, that's already been talked about. It's the fact that he's a shooter and doesn't create his own shot. I love how everybody talks all this defense but we need some guys who can create besides Stuckey. We have a lot of good defenders. Stuckey, Rip, Jerebko, Tay (if he stays), and Wallace.

Our deficiencies last year were down low more than anything. We were near last in the league in things like paint scoring, post defense, defensive rebounding, FG%,FTs attemtped etc. We need quality bigs. Monroe was good and will be better, but will never be an elite shot blocker or post defender. He'll be a good help defender and rebounder who uses his size to his advantage, but he'll never be on all NBA defensive teams or anything. Charlie can't guard anyone and can't rebound his position. Maxiell does nothing and Ben seems finished. Jerebko is a boost, but he's an energy type, he's not a starting 4 on a title team.

We could use a true PG and a versatile SF who actually has the size to guard guys like Bron and Melo, we do need wing/scoring help, but down low has to be addressed first. We won first and foremost due to our athletic, defensive oriented bigs in the old days. The Wallace's

dd24

05-18-2011, 03:00 PM

The only problem with Valanciunas is that he and Monroe don't make for much of a defensive froncourt. Pretty finesse. I love the kid as a player. Package either Monroe or Valanciunas for Marc Gasol and you have something though.

Cleveland isn't passing on Kyrie IMO, though I would consider a Williams plus Knight/Walker combination to some degree. I do think we could get Cleveland's 4th pick if we wanted, ideally for Kanter.

Valanciunas is young and still growing. He could be a nice defensive player down low. The thing is he needs a few years. I don't see him producing much right away. He's a project but I think he'll be decent in the NBA. It will be a miracle if this draft produces a perenial all-star. I'm looking for the guys who can be solid starters.

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 03:01 PM

No other draft picks for sure. Players and this years pick. Next years pick will be too good to give away. It'll be a much deeper draft and even if we pick 10-15 it could potentially bring us a player that will be better than what we get this year. College basketball is stacked next year. The draft classes that some of these teams have coming in next year in addition with what they already have coming back is pretty incredible. Duke is going to lose their two best players in Irving and Smith and they're still going to have more talent on their roster next year... I wouldn't trade a potential 2012 lottery pick unless it was for a player that we knew would be special.

The other thing I see is Darko wouldn't want to come back to Detroit. He really didn't like it here. I wouldn't actually mind having him back. I think he's turned into a fairly decent player and we could use him. I don't think he's quite the bust that everybody makes him out to be. I also don't think he has the work ethic or the killer instinct to ever be a stud in the league, but like I said I think he's still a decent player who just had too many people in front of him at the time here in Detroit.

The benefit to Minnesota with getting Rip is he would be the best player involved in the trade and could help them now. He's also a proven winner and a guy with a good work ethic that could help the younger guys.

God I'm so sick of people saying next year's draft will be better. The only year it was true was the year before the Lebron/Wade draft probably. Unless we are planning to pick top 5, I could care less about our draft pick next year. I'm not throwing away any asset, but if I can close a good deal, I give it up immediately.

You are simply not getting the #2 pick for anything we can offer that doesn't include next year's first. No way no how. Maybe if Stuckey is in the deal, but that won't be doable pre-CBA. If anything, making them take Rip in the deal may increase what we have to give them in return.

So now Rip is the best player in the deal and big help to Minny but we are desperate for a productive SG and Rip can't hepl us? Gotta make up your mind ther, ya know

dd24

05-18-2011, 04:19 PM

God I'm so sick of people saying next year's draft will be better. The only year it was true was the year before the Lebron/Wade draft probably. Unless we are planning to pick top 5, I could care less about our draft pick next year. I'm not throwing away any asset, but if I can close a good deal, I give it up immediately.

You are simply not getting the #2 pick for anything we can offer that doesn't include next year's first. No way no how. Maybe if Stuckey is in the deal, but that won't be doable pre-CBA. If anything, making them take Rip in the deal may increase what we have to give them in return.

So now Rip is the best player in the deal and big help to Minny but we are desperate for a productive SG and Rip can't hepl us? Gotta make up your mind ther, ya know

It's very true though. Next year will be a very very good draft. This year is exceptionally weak. We'll look back a few years from now and see that easily. There's really only a couple guys who might be real impact players and that's why everyone is talking about them at the top two. No way I give up next years pick. I do think they would want one of our young players with potential in return. Maybe someone like Austin Daye. I'd be fine with that for the 2nd pick because we could draft a guy like Williams who basically plays the same positions. I'd also like Williams just to say what position he's most comfortable at. If he's most comfortable at SF I think he has a chance to be really great in this league. Kind of like a Paul Pierce type. If he's more of a PF I'd be a bit scared of him.

dd24

05-18-2011, 04:32 PM

Our deficiencies last year were down low more than anything. We were near last in the league in things like paint scoring, post defense, defensive rebounding, FG%,FTs attemtped etc. We need quality bigs. Monroe was good and will be better, but will never be an elite shot blocker or post defender. He'll be a good help defender and rebounder who uses his size to his advantage, but he'll never be on all NBA defensive teams or anything. Charlie can't guard anyone and can't rebound his position. Maxiell does nothing and Ben seems finished. Jerebko is a boost, but he's an energy type, he's not a starting 4 on a title team.

We could use a true PG and a versatile SF who actually has the size to guard guys like Bron and Melo, we do need wing/scoring help, but down low has to be addressed first. We won first and foremost due to our athletic, defensive oriented bigs in the old days. The Wallace's

I can't say I disagree, but I'm more about just getting the best available player. We need a lot of help and I don't see much of anyone making an immediate impact at where we're picking. Also having JJ would have made those stats much better. Defensively I think he's fine. I think offensively is where his game needs to grow. I think we've had the conversation before and we both agree he's not a guy who will be a starting PF on a championship caliber club. I just don't necessarily see someone at the 8 spot who will be much better than him. Sheed was one of the best PF's in the game when we first got him and there really isn't any kind of talent like that in this draft. A 7 footer with his kind of range and a back to the basket game is pretty rare. I remember his days in Portland and he was basically unguardable. It's too bad he didn't appreciate the game more. He really could have been one of the all time greats.

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 09:47 PM

It's very true though. Next year will be a very very good draft. This year is exceptionally weak. We'll look back a few years from now and see that easily. There's really only a couple guys who might be real impact players and that's why everyone is talking about them at the top two. No way I give up next years pick. I do think they would want one of our young players with potential in return. Maybe someone like Austin Daye. I'd be fine with that for the 2nd pick because we could draft a guy like Williams who basically plays the same positions. I'd also like Williams just to say what position he's most comfortable at. If he's most comfortable at SF I think he has a chance to be really great in this league. Kind of like a Paul Pierce type. If he's more of a PF I'd be a bit scared of him.

Its most certainly not true one way or the other at this point. I've heard 3 drafts in like 5 years called the weakest draft of all time and then at the end of the year when all the rookies tear it up, everyone all of a sudden is like, wow, we missed that! This may be the case this year, it may not be. The highly touted freshmen stars may or may not leave school next year. Shoot Barnes and Sullinger may not even leave next year for certain. They both want a title badly for their respective school. Some of the guys may bust, get injured or lower their stock with poor play or a weakness in their game that is exposed. This is all I'm saying.

Even if it is a stronger draft, this rebuilding process has gone on long enough. Its time to start acquiring NBA ready talent as much as possible. We have to develop young talent of course too, but I'm not going to be upset about trading away a middling 1st round pick next year if it means getting an elite talent. If you go get a guy like Kanter with a #2 overall pick, you aren't going to look back and overexamine the cost if he works out. You either decide he's worth the 2 pick and pay the price it costs to acquire it or you say he's not and don't. ::shrug::

Nastradamus

05-18-2011, 09:52 PM

I can't say I disagree, but I'm more about just getting the best available player. We need a lot of help and I don't see much of anyone making an immediate impact at where we're picking. Also having JJ would have made those stats much better. Defensively I think he's fine. I think offensively is where his game needs to grow. I think we've had the conversation before and we both agree he's not a guy who will be a starting PF on a championship caliber club. I just don't necessarily see someone at the 8 spot who will be much better than him. Sheed was one of the best PF's in the game when we first got him and there really isn't any kind of talent like that in this draft. A 7 footer with his kind of range and a back to the basket game is pretty rare. I remember his days in Portland and he was basically unguardable. It's too bad he didn't appreciate the game more. He really could have been one of the all time greats.

I don't want us to find a Sheed to replace Jerebko with. I want a Dyess to pair with him I guess. A better Dyess ideally. Jerebko is fine, but pairing him with Markieff Morris would make me feel a lot better about our PF position. Or Thompson,Faried,Biyombo etc. I think there are a lot more veteran options we can find at the perimeter spots too, whether trade,FA or what is already on the roster. OTOH, if there is value, I'll take best player available. I'm not willing to take someone like Burks,Knight,Walker or Leonard over the available bigs though

dd24

05-18-2011, 10:33 PM

One good thing came from getting the number 8 pick.... the Pistons are offering a season package where the individual game price is 8 dollars per ticket. That's a cheap season ticket package! I'd be all over that if I could.

dd24

05-20-2011, 12:13 PM

[QUOTE]Several prospects have said they have or will meet with the Pistons the next few days. Among the guards are Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Alec Burks (Colorado), Brandon Knight (Kentucky), Shelvin Mack (Butler), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Josh Selby (Kansas) and Klay Thompson (Washington State). Detroit News

And among the forwards are Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State), JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Jimmy Butler (Marquette) and Kenneth Faried (Morehead State). Texas forward Tristan Thompson said he expects to set up a workout with the Pistons soon. Detroit News

Kansas forward Markieff Morris will meet with the Pistons, but his twin, Marcus , won't

Nastradamus

05-20-2011, 03:33 PM

#8 and the 2nd of our 2 2nd rounders for 14 and 23? You could get 3 interesting players at 14,23 and 33.

dd24

05-20-2011, 11:22 PM

#8 and the 2nd of our 2 2nd rounders for 14 and 23? You could get 3 interesting players at 14,23 and 33.

I'd strongly consider it. The only problem I see with two first rounders is they are both guaranteed contracts. That money could be spent elsewhere. Is Houston looking to move up?

dd24

05-21-2011, 01:58 PM

No doubt if he fell to 8 they'd draft him. There's just too many teams who need a PG in front of Detroit. I don't see him falling that far. After all when was the last time Calipari had a top ranked PG go to the draft that ended up being a bust? Knight could end up being the best PG in this draft.

Nastradamus

05-21-2011, 09:41 PM

knight just has no playmaking or ball handling skills, he seemingly compounds our problems rather than solving them. Good defender, potentially at least.

I think I'm Biyombo or bust at this point. He's just pure excellence as a defender. He's like a Javale Mcgee with basketball IQ. Its rare to see that package of instincts/IQ and top level athleticism. Longest wingspan in the draft supposedly at least and scouting reports gush over his leadership abilities. Those are the type of reports that really make me gush over a guy. I don't care if he never develops on offense.

If we could somehow get him and Singleton and just lock it down on D, I'd love it. We've got firepower offensively at both G spots,C and off the bench for sure. Singleton can knock down open shots at least. We'll need more O, but I'd rather build up a core that thrives on D and add a high level scorer to the mix next.

dd24

05-25-2011, 04:29 PM

Right now it looks like we're stuck with Biyombo (if he doesn't somehow get drafted earlier). I'm sorry but I just can't be overly excited about this. First of all we really didn't get to see anything on Biyombo outside of a game where he played against a bunch of people who were shorter than him. Maybe if I would have seen some more footage and he would have done the combines I could get a little enthusiasm going. Right now I just don't see having a front court of Biyombo and Monroe as a championship contending front court. Biyombo seems to me more like a specialist to come off the bench....

What I did see was some news about Kanter. Apparently he is in amazing shape, even though he wasn't able to play college ball this past season. They say he's extremely motivated and has been working very hard. There's a treadmill drill they do that's extremely difficult because it varies speeds and inclines. Typically big men don't last very long. Kanter lasted over 20 minutes and there were only 4 people to do so. The rest were guards. They say no big man has ever done that before.... so apparently he has some endurance to him. Overall they say his workouts were amazing. It might be worth looking into trading up.

Nastradamus

05-25-2011, 06:14 PM

There are some good youtube videos of Biyombo, but not sure what else. I certainly see that as a potential championship frontcourt though. I've heard many say now that Biyombo can step on the court tomorrow and be a plus defender. He played in the toughest league in Europe, its not like he came out of the Congo yesterday. Was highly productive too.

Express has him ranked #3 overall now, so we probably don't get him IMO.
A scouting report on him for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bismack-Biyombo-5902/

The thing I love most that they talk about here(and seems to be a consensus) is how intense his effort/motor is. They talk about how he will have to slow down and hone in his energy before he hurts himself or someone else. That's what I like to hear! Supposedly a great leader. Lucas Noguiera is a raw, athletic, shot blocking big man with potential. Biyombo is much more than that.

I do love Kanter though no doubt, and Valanciunas. If one of these 3 bigs falls I'll be thrilled. Irving,Williams,Knight,Walker,Leonard all have to go before 8 for this to happen basically.

dd24

05-25-2011, 06:47 PM

The funny thing is draftexpress updated their mock draft on Monday and still had Biyombo available to us at #8.

There's also a chance Motiejunas could go early on for a team who really wants to gamble on a big. It's a lock that Williams and Irving will go before us so there's two spots. Knight and Vesely are also locks to go in the top 7. Walker, Leonard, and Burks are all wild cards. I think Kanter will get taken too. That pretty much leaves Valanciunas or Biyombo as the bigs who might fall, though I think Valanciunas will get drafted in the top 7 too. At this point I agree, it's all about crossing our fingers and hoping we get one of those bigs to fall to our pick (especially Kanter and Valanciunas).

The thing that still confuses me about this draft is Minnesota. If Cleveland picks Irving like everyone thinks they will that leaves Williams. Depending on what Williams is he plays a position that one of their two best players do (Love and Beasley). That means they're pretty much going to have to make a trade. It's kind of like being stupid and drafting two PG's in lottery. Now they'll have all these guys at 6'9" that are lottery picks.... They really need a C or a SG. If I was Kahn I'd be drafting Kanter. Then Utah would be elated that Williams fell to them. They'd draft him and pass on Knight. Then Cleveland would have to draft Vesely causing Knight to fall farther. Toronto might snag Knight up with the 5th pick but they have a couple PG's and really need another big man so I could see them getting Valanciunas. Washington obviously wouldn't draft a PG so they'd go after Leonard since they need a SF. Sacramento would then draft Knight for sure and would be extremely happy he fell. That would leave Biyombo for us. That's if teams actually drafted smart and by what they needed of course.... That doesn't happen in the real world typically.

idizzle

05-26-2011, 11:16 AM

Pistons worked Norris Cole, Malcolm Lee, Andrew Goudelock, Cory Joseph, Kalin Lucas & Andrew Albicy in today. Cole & Lee impressed.

All of them are PG's.

dd24

05-26-2011, 12:01 PM

I do think with one of their picks the Pistons will be selecting a PG. Those guys are all people who could be around in the begining of the 2nd round. It makes sense to work them all out together to get a comparison of who the best is. I don't think for a second that just because they selected White last year they won't select another guy who plays the same position. White may never even make the team. I think that probably does confirm they were really looking at Knight before everybody pulled out of the draft and he might have been around where the Pistons were picking. Anyway, it looks like Biyombo in the lottery and probably a PG with one of the 2nd round picks. If Jujuan Johnson is around in the 2nd round I'd still like to pick him up instead though. There has been a lot of good stuff I've seen about Cole and Lee. As popular as Lucas was at MSU I don't see him making too much of an impact in the NBA. In fact most mock NBA drafts don't even have him being selected right now.... He really slipped down after this season. There's a lot of mock drafts that have us selecting Lee in the 2nd round. UCLA guards have turned into pretty solid NBA players over the past few years. This is such a weak draft I think most of the 2nd rounders getting selected will end up in the D league or overseas for most of their careers anyhow. That's why I don't mind some kind of gamble in the 2nd round for a person with some upside. They'll probably never make the roster and if there's any kind of lockout we won't even see them in summer league.

Nastradamus

05-26-2011, 07:54 PM

Hopefully its Lee or Darius Morris. Those are the 2 PGs I really like. Wouldn't mind their size and defense to go against Rose in our division and they are both pretty skilled.

idizzle

05-27-2011, 01:27 PM

Nastradamus

05-27-2011, 02:47 PM

A more explosive Rodney Stuckey could certainly have some value to us. Not as a starting PG,but hey.

dd24

05-27-2011, 02:58 PM

I'm not sure White's going to end up being a better player than Stuckey. Sure he's athletic and can dunk but there's been plenty of players that have had those traits that didn't do well in the NBA (Gerald Green for example....). A 2nd round pick always has a lot to prove to me before I'm going to give them credit.

Nastradamus

05-27-2011, 03:03 PM

I don't disagree one bit there.

dd24

05-28-2011, 05:00 PM

The Pistons held their first big workout of the year on Wednesday. Cleveland State's Norris Cole, Malcolm Lee, Andrew Goudelock, Cory Joseph, Kalin Lucas and Andrew Albicy all participated. Keep an eye out for Cole. He's been really rising on a number of draft boards. Not only has he tested out as one of the best athletes in the draft, but he really looked like he belonged out there with the other, more highly-rated point guards in the draft. When you look at his body of work in college over the past couple of years, there's a lot to be impressed with. He could be a sleeper first-round selection.

Ryan Feldman: The Pistons had a draft workout yesterday w/ Xavier Silas, Andrew Warren, Cory Higgins and Adrian Oliver. Twitter

I don't know much about that last group of guys. Nonetheless, it's not like all these 2nd round picks are going to end up on NBA rosters.

idizzle

06-02-2011, 07:26 PM

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/123008438.html

Jonny Flynn could be a Piston on draft night.

dd24

06-02-2011, 08:08 PM

Yeah, that's been the rumor for a little bit now. I think the T-Wolves are a little crazy thinking Rubio is going to save their franchise. 3 years ago I would have said he was worth the gamble. He was just 17 and looked like he might have some game. Now, he's playing in the Spanish league averaging 6 points per game a just a few assists. He doesn't even start for his team.... I don't think he's going to be as great as some of these experts seem to think.

As for how this affects the Pistons.... I think Flynn could be a nice pickup. He's shown flashes of being a good ball player. I don't think Minnesota is the right fit for him, especially with the way Rambis uses PG's. Depending on who we hire as a coach will mean a lot to how he develops. For instance, if we somehow landed Adelman, he's been a pretty good PG coach over the years. Also, if we could use this to somehow move up in the draft it would be awesome. If we could end up with a young PG (Flynn), a young big man, and move Rip all at the same time I'd be much happier with our draft this year. Especially if we could somehow end up with Kanter or Valanciunas (mainly Kanter). This could end up in a 3-way trade with Cleveland. Even though they are trying to say they are just rumors and nothing more it has been mentioned that Cleveland could end up with picks 1 and 2 and Detroit ends up at 4. That's still enough to land us one of the European big men. I think a front line of Kanter and Monroe would scare teams for years to come.

Nastradamus

06-03-2011, 02:47 PM

Pretty normal for guards of his age to not put up huge numbers over there.

They aren't completely sold on Rubio IMO, but they have a vet in Ridnour and they have to at least let Rubio play to see how he does. Its hard to attempt to develop 2 players at the same position at the same time and Flynn hasn't shown enough to be worth developing.

I"ll take a chance on him here, but only if he's super cheap. I'll give you Terico and the 2nd or our 2 2nd rounders.

dd24

06-03-2011, 02:57 PM

I think they're going to try to package him, maybe with their draft pick and move down. Otherwise they probably won't get that much in return.

dd24

06-07-2011, 08:13 PM

The majority of the mock drafts have Vesely falling to us now. It looks like most people think Walker and Leonard will get drafted before him. Besides Vesely there's a few that think Valanciunas might drop to Detroit. I know we all probably get a little scared after the whole Darko thing but it's probably the best case scenario this year if we can land either of those guys. I'd still like to trade up for Kanter if it's possible. Round 2 most people have us taking a PG first and then going after a SF.

Nastradamus

06-07-2011, 09:02 PM

There'll be interesting PGs at 33. We already have a defensive oriented combo F in Jerebko, not sure Vessely is a great fit. I like Valanciunas and I'd live with Walker. Maybe Leonard because I tihnk he'll develop as a scorer a la Gerald Wallace.

dd24

06-08-2011, 02:31 AM

I do agree there's some PG's who should be around at 33 that we'll have to look really hard at. This draft is definitely deeper in small guys that big guys (not saying its deep though, lol). I still like Jujuan Johnson or Jeremy Tyler with that 2nd round pick though. I'm not sure if I like Vesely or Valanciunas more. I feel like both have quite a bit of upside. I think Vesely makes more of an immediate impact. Valanciunas might take a bit but probably has a slightly higher ceiling. If Walker fell to us and we picked him I definitely wouldn't be upset. I think he has a chance of being pretty good. He's definitely a PG in the NBA and has even said he's not trying to be a SG at all. I think he'll make some team pretty happy and he'll end up going earlier. Not saying he's a perenial all-star but he has a chance to be a nice starter in the league. If for some reason we draft Leonard that tells me Tay is definitely on his way out. The only reason we need depth at SF is if Tay leaves and they want to give some competition to the other young guys we have for the spot. I just wish we'd have a summer league to evaluate whoever we end up drafting..... it's really going to hurt the rookies this year when the NBA is locked out.

dd24

06-08-2011, 02:32 AM

By the way, wouldn't it be cool if other Pistons fans joined us in this forum :D You and I are the ones that keep this forum alive :cheers:

Nastradamus

06-08-2011, 12:06 PM

haha, no doubt. Its been a 2 man convo for the most part eh?

dd24

06-08-2011, 12:59 PM

Yeah, I wonder where all the Pistons fans went. This should be the most exciting part of the year for us. Going into the season we knew at best we'd be around .500 fighting for an 8 seed in the playoffs. We were kinda close to that but nobody could've guessed the drama the team had. We all knew the draft would be the highlight of the season though, :oldlol:

idizzle

06-08-2011, 02:43 PM

http://www.nbadraft.net/team-needs-central-division-1

dd24

06-08-2011, 03:29 PM

http://www.nbadraft.net/team-needs-central-division-1

It's about time you chimed in :cheers:

dd24

06-12-2011, 05:46 PM

[QUOTE]The Biyombo workout was interesting as a rare public look at a prospect who has not played in months, after splitting with his team in Spain, and was barely known in the United States even when he was in a lineup. It just wasn

dd24

06-12-2011, 06:11 PM

And the other guy I'm scared of....

The Motiejunas workout was better but hardly worth the top of the resume either. While he showed the agility and a shooting touch uncommon at 6-feet-11 power forward, the lottery-bound power forward appeared tired to those who had watched him during the season.Davis Bertrans, on the bubble for the first round and guaranteed money, pulled out of the camp because his team had a game in the Slovenian playoffs about a three-hour drive away. He may come for an individual workout on Sunday. NBA.com

Motiejunas has bust written all over him. Watch his tapes. There's nothing of worth there. All they are is a couple of dunks that aren't that exciting. They show no skill and most of them don't show much of him even on a basketball court.... they're mostly interviews. The team that ends up drafting him is going to be very upset with that pick in a few years.

Nastradamus

06-13-2011, 01:55 AM

I've been seeing a lot of mediocre reports on Bismack lately. I think he could end up being a bust in this draft. While rebounding a defense are important, not being an offensive threat is really a scary thing. There's only been a couple of players in the league who have been able to pull that off. Bad hands for a big guy scare me too. I've been reading a lot of this about him lately. That can lead to costly turnovers. I'll say it again. He had one good game against a bunch of people smaller than him. I'm not going to freak out over that. At this point I don't see him doing much in the NBA. His stock has been gradually falling as these workouts are taking place.

Eh, finding out he can't shoot jumpers shouldn't lower his stock. Nothing about his defensive scouting report has changed. I'd be surprised if he isn't a Tyson Chandler-esque type player at the least.

dealer77

06-15-2011, 07:19 AM

i think valanciunas should be the pick. he has the potential (kinda meaningless phrase in a rather lackluster draft class) to be a starting center for this team, and would pair up well with monroe.

the main reason teams are seeming to shy away from him is his european contract, for which a buyout is being negotiated. i think it's a good opportunity for Gores to buy him out and prove he's not afraid to spend money to improve his team.

tristan thompson would also be good here, as his great athleticism and defensive presence would pair up well with monroe. he's also a lefty like monroe.

as far as second rounders go, i'd like to see davis bertans from latvia. skinny as all get out, but rather quick, solid defensively, and has a pure shooting stroke. daye is just too slow and weak to ever be more than a bit player at SF/SG

i like greg smith out of fresno state with the later pick. smith is huge with enormous hands and could really add some toughness to a SOFT frontcourt

Nastradamus

06-15-2011, 12:08 PM

Good stuff, but a few issues.

For one, Gores cannot buy out Valanciunas. An NBA team can only cover the first 500K, or else Rubio would have been here years ago(probably).

Second, Bertans is going to withdraw from the draft if he doesn't get a 1st round promise. Rumors are abound about the Spurs. Good talent, though similar to Daye.

I do like Valanciunas though. He's a legit 2 way C. Not a 20 ppg guy, but a Chandler/Noah with better O. That's damn good. He's young, a bit weak and a bit raw, so he'll require more patience than say, Monroe.

My dream for the draft is to come away with 2 of these players. One of Biyombo,Val,Tyler(in that order) and one of Singleton,Morris, if not both. I'd love to trade 8 for 14 and 23, take Singleton and Morris and move up from 33 for Tyler. Tyler is going to be a star IMO.

dd24

06-15-2011, 12:40 PM

Tyler has had some good workouts and it seems like he might have made his way into the 1st round. I've said all along I'd really like to see us get him or Johnson with that 2nd round pick.

I really don't want 2 first round picks. That means we have to give two people guaranteed contracts and it very well could be neither one of them turn into anything good.

Biyombo is a little lower on my list now. He's really only had that one good game. His workouts haven't been great and he hasn't been competing against any of the other top players from what I've read. I think rebounding does translate in the NBA and I do realize he has a nice wingspan but he's still only 6'9". I'd rather have Valanciunas at this point. We just have to hope Cleveland doesn't draft him at #4. There's a good chance he could go before #8. The other thing that could actually be a benefit to us is Valanciunas may not be able to play this year. While he wouldn't have much of an impact right away probably anyhow, it does mean without a major trade that we'll probably be in about the same spot as we are this year. I think that actually speeds up this rebuilding process. Then we can get an impact player next year in a much deeper draft. We'll have plenty of young talent at that point and should have more trading chips that can be used to get another quality player here. For the long term I'd much rather be in the lottery again next year rather than finishing .500. Finishing with a 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs next year scares me more than anything. We'll be stuck in mediocrity for a long time if that happens.

dealer77

06-15-2011, 01:33 PM

http://www.nbadraft.net/international-withdrawals

Apparently, Bertans is still in the draft. His game does seem similar to Daye's, but he seem so much more fluid and smooth.

dd24

06-15-2011, 01:42 PM

http://www.nbadraft.net/international-withdrawals

Apparently, Bertans is still in the draft. His game does seem similar to Daye's, but he seem so much more fluid and smooth.

Daye was the 15th pick in a much deeper draft. Bertans is considered a 2nd rounder by most in a draft that isn't that deep (could be the worst in a long time). I have to think Daye is the more gifted of the two. Unless we're trading Daye I don't think it makes sense to add a less talented version of him to the roster. Lee, Cole, Johnson, and Tyler all seem to have more upside to me.

Nastradamus

06-15-2011, 11:22 PM

dd24

06-15-2011, 11:49 PM

This idea of the horrible guaranteed contracts being a negative is ridiculously silly. The guys in the 20s make like a million bucks. It is by far the best value contract in the NBA. Minimal risk, sky high upside. A team in our market and with our current cap situation needs to build through the draft. We aren't getting any #1 picks any time soon most likely. We need to add as many 1st round talents as we can IMO. Even if 1 out of ever 2 or 3 becomes a starter you're hitting a homerun. They are easy contracts to use for future trades too.

I disagree about them being the best value contracts in the NBA. I would argue the guys who sign for the vets minimum or a portion of the MLE (under the current CBA) are the best value. They are proven talents making just a few million. A guy who may never end up being anything making that kind of money is a waste. In another draft I might be for it. This draft doesn't have that many impact players. It's not the draft you want a bunch of picks in . Typically you'll see teams that trade out of the the end of the first round and into the 2nd round for that reason. Especially with teams who are already at the cap, as the Pistons pretty much are. We don't have a bunch of cap space.

Also as far as trading those guys they really aren't worth much. They don't make enough money to bring in a talented player and without being proven their stock isn't as high as it could be. If we tried to package Austin Daye, Terrico White, and Jonas Jerebko we wouldn't get all that much in return. I like how Cleveland loaded up with lottery picks. Of course they had a lot of luck on their side that helped to make them high lottery picks, but that's a good strategy. It's more of a long term thing since players will need to develop but I like what they did there. I don't like trading for a bunch of lower first round picks in a draft that doesn't have much talent. Potentially in a draft like next year it would work. We'll be lucky if there's 2 all-stars in this entire draft. I think it would also be stretching it to say there will be 10 career starters in this draft.

I know what you're thinking about getting young talent and I agree to an extent. FA's aren't knocking down the door to come to Detroit. This year isn't the year to get it done with the draft though. If anything I say move up to try to get a real impact player. Otherwise we're better off trying to make a trade this year (near the deadline). I think if someone wants Rip they either do it on draft day and Detroit moves up or nobody will want to take on that contract and they'll let Detroit pay it until the deadline and then they'll move on him. A 3 way deal on draft day with Minnesota and Cleveland is the best way to move up, though if Cleveland wants Kanter at #2 it wouldn't be in our interest.

dd24

06-16-2011, 12:36 PM

Chad Ford: Bismack Backlash: In wake of shaky Euro workout, Biyombo now offering to work out for few teams in the US - Pistons & Knicks both got calls Twitter

I like to see this. It's about time this kid is going to work out. With the way he limited himself he now sees his stock falling, especially when you only do a few and they aren't good. All teams need to see a lot more of this guy. His experience is really limited. The one thing I can't stress enough is he had one good game against a bunch of under sized guys. I need to see more before I'm convinced. I don't like the Tyson Chandler comparisions because Bismack isn't 7'1" tall.

[QUOTE]What do you say to the critics who say you are too slow to defend wings in the NBA? Do you think you

idizzle

06-19-2011, 12:34 AM

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2011/06/detroit_pistons_work_out_11_pr.html

Nastradamus

06-19-2011, 03:12 PM

He's not 7'1, but he's longer, possibly still growing(see medical reports on his age) more athletic and has a lot more bounce and intensity in his game. Tyson is excellent, but he doesn't cover the ground that Biyombo does. Ben Wallace or super Joel Anthony works(if Joel has more athleticism, intensity and was as developed as he is not 5-10 years ago)

I just do not care about his workouts. He has absoluetly zero skill right now, may always be that way. I want him for what he is. He will make all NBA defensive 1st teams. He is ready to start right now and be a plus defender. There is not one criticism of his defensive game.

I just think he can make an incredible amount of impact on that side. Look at a guy like Javale Mcgee, who we were discussing in the main forum. Elite shot blocker and rebounder due to his athleticism, but doesn't have 1% of Biyombo's defensive intelligence or motor. He is a TERRIBLE defender despite his physical characteristics.

dd24

06-19-2011, 04:23 PM

With everything I've seen on the big guys workouts lately it makes me scared to even take one, as much as I know that's our biggest need and that's what I really would like. I think Kanter will be a guy who is good and could be a career starter but outside of that there's a lot of question marks. It'll be very interesting to see how the cards get played out on Thursday.

Nastradamus

06-19-2011, 11:46 PM

I'm not huge on Kanter any more to be quite honest, but I'd be ok with it at 8. I don't like the idea of a Monroe/Kanter combo though. Its a nightmare defensively. Neither can defend pick and rolls or athletic PFs, neither alters shots at the rim. Reminds me of what Minnesota had with Love/Jefferson, which was a disaster.

I know you aren't in to him, but I'll be disappointed with anything but Biyombo. I like a lot of players in this draft. I feel the depth and overall quality is tremendously underrated after all the talk about how weak of a draft this was. The 3-6 spots are weaker than normal, but the mid to late lottery, the rest of the 1st and the 2nd aer all strong. Its funny too because looking at the guys that are in the draft now, the only guys who reallly hurt this draft by staying was Barnes. Jones,Jones and Sullinger would not be surefire lottery picks IMO.

dd24

06-20-2011, 01:39 PM

I think if we draft Biyombo as our future C then we need to go after a guy like Jeremy Tyler or Jujuan Johnson who can play more of the offensive role. When the Pistons were contenders we had Okur playing backup to Wallace and that dramatically changed games. I think even if Bismack turned into that defensive specialist we'd still need talent on our front line to make up for his lack of offensive ability. Guys like Wallace don't come around often. It seems like every year there's someone out there getting comparisons to him.

Nastradamus

06-20-2011, 01:50 PM

Charlie V!

Lol. I wouldn't mind some more offense up front if we took Biyombo, but I don't think we need too much either. Monroe will be a scorer going forward and hopefully Jerebko can chip in some. A backup C who can knock down jumpers would be nice. Getting TYler at 33 wuold be awesome.

dd24

06-21-2011, 01:04 PM

[QUOTE]Houston continues to offer the 14th and 23rd picks in the draft to move into the top 10, and could have a willing partner with the Detroit Pistons at No. 8. The Pistons have told teams they won

dd24

06-22-2011, 03:01 AM

It doesn't sound like Bismack did himself any favors at the workout today....

Biyombo worked out in Detroit (No. 8) on Tuesday and a source said he played well, but no one on hand played as well as Kansas power forward Markieff Morris. Despite the fact that his twin brother, Marcus, has long been expected to be taken first between the two brothers, the source said Markieff is legitimately in play there.

I'm hearing that if either [Kawhi] Leonard or [Kemba] Walker is on the board at No. 8, the Pistons are likely to take one of them. If both are gone, it's down to Biyombo, Tristan Thompson and Markieff Morris. The Pistons really like Valanciunas as well, but sources say they aren't willing to wait a year to get him.

Thompson and [Derrick] Williams had the highest ratings of any player in the Draft Rater this year, and while that doesn't come with the same assurances it does for Kyrie Irving, they both appear to be very solid prospects. Of the 13 players who rated at 15.5 or above in previous iterations, most were very successful as pros, and the ones that weren't tended to fail due to injuries and lack of professionalism -- issues that shouldn't be factors for Thompson and Williams.

Thompson scored a 16.21 in Hollinger's rating system. To put that in perspective, it's a bit below what Blake Griffin (17.14), Andrew Bogut (16.90) and DeMarcus Cousins (16.86) posted coming out of college, but better than Greg Monroe (15.77), Chris Bosh (15.57) and Derrick Favors (15.51).

Before you get too excited, Hollinger's rating system clearly isn't perfect: Thompson is sandwiched between Michael Sweetney (16.70) and Curtis Borchardt (16.01). Who? Exactly. But the fact Thompson ranks as Hollinger's highest-rated big man (with the caveat of the missing internationals) is certainly a feather in his cap, even if no one outside of Hollinger truly understands what goes into the obscure ranking system.

(Markieff Morris, incidentally, ranks 16th with a 10.03. Hey Joe Dumars, remember what I said about not being impressed by workout warriors?)

That actually made my impression of Thompson go way up. I really believe in the Hollinger rating system. It has some flaws but overall does a good job.

After watching a ton more footage and reading about far more workouts I have chanced my opinions a bit. I think if Valanciunas slides to 8 now because of his contract you have to take him. He has way too much upside. He actually has extremely good hands and he's the only guy the other European coaches and scouts agree is a very good prospect out of Europe. Everybody else has limitations. I don't care if we wait a year for him because chances are the season will be shortened next year anyhow. Plus we aren't winning a championship next year. Another lottery pick won't hurt anything.

Kanter won't slide to 8 so there's no reason to hope for that anymore.

Biyombo is likely a bust. I just can't find enough good stuff on him. He seems like a nice kid but I just don't see him being that guy everybody wants him to be.

Even if Prince and McGrady walk I don't want Leonard. He's going to be a guy someone can use off the bench but that's it. I actually think there's about 5 other SF's who will be better than him in this draft. If we draft him at 8 I'll have a problem with that.

If Walker slides to 8 and we decide to draft him I won't be upset. I actually think we could get a guy like Fredette at a later pick and be just as happy. Looking at it more and more there just aren't enough difference makers in this draft. I have changed my stance on moving down in the draft. If we don't get Valanciunas at 8 I wouldn't mind making the Houston trade. I think if we were to snag a guy like Fredette and then get Jeremy Tyler we'd probably be better off. After watching the tape on Tyler I think he might end up being the best C in this draft. I don't think he'll make it to the 2nd round anymore. All of his workouts have been great and there was even tape of him working Kanter on NBA tv. He actually looks like a great compliment to Monroe with his back to the basket game. If we traded down and got him I'd be really happy with this draft. I was saying all along to pick him in the 2nd round but I just don't think he'll be there anymore. I don't see how he could make it past Miami.

The Morris twins are doing better than I originally thought they would too. They could be someone we could grab if we traded down as well. I actually think I like Thompson the best out of the PF's now though (which I really didn't think at the end of the college season).

So in a nutshell it's this.... Valanciunas at 8 or trade down. Bismack is a bust. There's a few guys in the teens that could be as good as the lottery picks. Next year the draft will be loaded so I'll be cool with Valanciunas being out for a season developing even more in Europe.

Kombo

06-22-2011, 01:00 PM

dd24

06-22-2011, 01:13 PM

Damn, just wrote out a really long post and lost it... So here's the TL;DR version.

Anyway, can't believe we're here already. I think I'm favoring Thompson at this point. Though imperfect, I think he could be a good fit next to Monroe and help cover up each other's weaknesses. Playing against a team with both Thompson and Jerebko could be very annoying, we need to become a more intense team and having one of these guys on the floor at all times would help.

Draftexpress currently has him going at 13.

Yeah, I didn't like him at first but his work ethic over the course of this draft process has been really impressive and he looks like he could be a nice pick. He's undersized but this draft just lacks the lottery star power. I think most of the Euro's are getting a little over rated mostly because we don't get to see as much of them. I still think Valanciunas is the guy you have to grab if he's there. Outside of that trading down and getting a guy like Thompson could be a good deal. There's a number of possibilities that could play out if they did the deal with Houston.

dd24

06-22-2011, 01:20 PM

Wow, after posting that I just read this....

With top prospects in New York Thursday for media and service responsibilities, a person familiar with the draft discussions said the Pistons appear to have zeroed in on Texas small forward Tristan Thompson with the eighth pick. Thompson canceled other scheduled workouts after working out for the Pistons with five other players Wednesday. CBSSports.com

I'm not sure why they are calling him a SF because I don't think he's ever played that position, lol. I also just read in another draft board (that they frown upon us naming here) the pick is Thompson, which is the first time I saw that. That one also had a note it could be Valanciunas. Are they reading our thread, haha :rockon:

Nastradamus

06-22-2011, 03:06 PM

So Leonard and Thompson both think they're coming here? Lol. Gotta love pre-draft coverage.

Thompson does seem to be moving up a lot. Getting talk as high as 4. He has a good work ethic, but not sure he's what we need. Good offensive rebounder, good athlete, no skills really. I'd rather do the Houston trade down than take him. Biyombo or trade down for me. If we could land 3 players from this draft, at 14,23 and 33, I'd be ecstatic. I really want to load up on rookies this year. The mid to late part of this draft is sick with depth(called thin due to lack of Harrison Barnes and co at the top). I'd love to get something like Singleton,Vucevic and D.Morris or Markieff,D.Morris and T.Honeycutt. Draft rater has Honeycutt 11th or 13th IIRC.

I like the draft rater by the way DD24, but it does miss on big men a lot , as it qualitfies in the article. Could be the case with THompson, who may not have a defined role. I need more O from my PF, especially paired with JJ.

dd24

06-22-2011, 04:40 PM

Kombo

06-22-2011, 05:47 PM

I think Biyombo at 8 is crazy. The guy is highly likely going to be a bust. I think his stock has went down enough that he's probably not a lottery pick. I think if Joe D wanted he could trade down and still get him. I don't think Joe D is holding on the 8 pick because he wants to see if Bismack is going to be there. I think he's holding on to it to see if Valanciunas, Walker, or Kanter fall. If it's not one of them I think he makes the trade. As for Thompson I think they could still get him at 13 possibly. While his stock is up I don't think it's up far enough to get him into the top 10.

This draft is really thin. It's not just Harrison Barnes pulling out. There was a number of players. What teams are going to end up with is role players. There's definitely not a bunch of stars sitting at the end of the 1st round. Most of the guys at the end of the first round should be 2nd rounders and plenty of them will not be in the NBA long term (outside of their now guaranteed contracts). There's not much in terms of star power in this draft (which is what Detroit really needs). Detroit already has a ton of role players. I'm for trading down just to try to get a few guys that might be slightly better than what we have. If Valanciunas is there though, he has the upside to be one of the games top C's. That's a gamble we'd have to take.

The main thing with trading down for me is Tyler is going to be there. A few years down the road if we were to trade down for him and Bismack is a bust and Tyler is a stud Joe D will look like one of the smartest GM's in the league. I think he is one of the few that has some star potential in this draft, and the funny thing is he's going to be a late first rounder.

I agree with what you're saying with Valanciunas. 7 doesn't come around that often. To be honest the first film I saw of him I thought the way me moved around the court was great for a big guy like that, and had the potential to be a very good player - highlight films will do that. I mean, 90% FT for a big guy I think shows how skilled he could be(come).

What turned me off about him didn't come from what little videos are out there, but stats (which I know isn't cool). But per 40 minutes, he averages just 1.7 blocks to his 8.2 fouls(he did do better in the Lithuanian league). What we need is a lane intimidator in the middle, and I'm afraid he's going to have Amir Johnson like tendencies.

Kombo

06-22-2011, 05:55 PM

I was just looking at an old forum post from last year May. I had us taking Monroe last year and then Kanter this year at the time.

Damn the lockout or Kanter might have been pushed down to us and I'd feel like a prophet for a couple of days.

I also thought we'd be able to trade Rip for Chandler as his stock was so low. Oh how things have changed for that man.

Nastradamus

06-22-2011, 07:54 PM

I think Biyombo at 8 is crazy. The guy is highly likely going to be a bust. I think his stock has went down enough that he's probably not a lottery pick. I think if Joe D wanted he could trade down and still get him. I don't think Joe D is holding on the 8 pick because he wants to see if Bismack is going to be there. I think he's holding on to it to see if Valanciunas, Walker, or Kanter fall. If it's not one of them I think he makes the trade. As for Thompson I think they could still get him at 13 possibly. While his stock is up I don't think it's up far enough to get him into the top 10.

This draft is really thin. It's not just Harrison Barnes pulling out. There was a number of players. What teams are going to end up with is role players. There's definitely not a bunch of stars sitting at the end of the 1st round. Most of the guys at the end of the first round should be 2nd rounders and plenty of them will not be in the NBA long term (outside of their now guaranteed contracts). There's not much in terms of star power in this draft (which is what Detroit really needs). Detroit already has a ton of role players. I'm for trading down just to try to get a few guys that might be slightly better than what we have. If Valanciunas is there though, he has the upside to be one of the games top C's. That's a gamble we'd have to take.

The main thing with trading down for me is Tyler is going to be there. A few years down the road if we were to trade down for him and Bismack is a bust and Tyler is a stud Joe D will look like one of the smartest GM's in the league. I think he is one of the few that has some star potential in this draft, and the funny thing is he's going to be a late first rounder.

That's just not true. Multiple GMs have said there are more worthy first rounders than normal. More teams than usual are trying to acquire late 1sts as well. Most years teams are looking to sell them off. I haven't heard that from one team yet. I never said the end of the 1st was loaded with stars. I simply said it is stronger than your average year. There are never a bunch of stars at the end of the 1st.

If I have to take a guy who is raw with high potential, give me the one with the great attitude and work ethic. I just don't see any chance Biyombo is a bust. He is too NBA ready right now. It all depends on what you expect of him I guess. I expect a Ben Wallace type. It'll be hard to match everything Ben did, but if he can come any where close it'll be a steal IMO. Defensively dominating Cs are one of the rarest and most valuable commodities in the game. The draft rater was pretty kind to Biyombo as well. Pretty sure he was in the lottery.

I'd be ok with Valalnciunas even if it means waiting a year. So long as they think he is the best player available by a pretty good margin. If its close, you take the guy who will be here this year. He and Monroe could be a very nice frontcourt with JJ off the bench.

dd24

06-22-2011, 10:03 PM

dd24

06-23-2011, 02:57 AM

dd24

06-23-2011, 03:01 AM

I like the draft rater by the way DD24, but it does miss on big men a lot , as it qualitfies in the article. Could be the case with THompson, who may not have a defined role. I need more O from my PF, especially paired with JJ.

Even Hollinger says the draft rater has it's flaws. It's not perfect but it does a good job. What it likes is a ton of data. So with the one and done guys it doesn't capture enough data, especially with someone like Kyrie Irving who was injured most the year and only played a few games.

Kombo

06-23-2011, 03:40 AM

Rip for Chandler should have happened.....

So if we're predicting the future here, who's your pick for next year?

Haha, I'll go with an optimistic pick...

Selecting 15th overall (not too optimistic) the Detroit Pistons select Jeremy Lamb from the University of Connecticut.

UConn player? Check. Huge wingspan? Check. Rail thin? Check. How could Joe resist?

Stuckey - Lamb - Daye - Thompson - Monroe

dd24

06-23-2011, 10:36 AM

Haha, I'll go with an optimistic pick...

Selecting 15th overall (not too optimistic) the Detroit Pistons select Jeremy Lamb from the University of Connecticut.

UConn player? Check. Huge wingspan? Check. Rail thin? Check. How could Joe resist?

Stuckey - Lamb - Daye - Thompson - Monroe

Lamb is a good guess. He was smart to stay in school one more year. It's likely he could even be a lottery pick next year. At first this year he would have been a 2nd rounder, but when everyone pulled out of the draft he probably would've been a late 1st rounder.

There's so much size next year in the draft. I forgot about how much there is. I'd almost rather just go after a PG this year now. Anyhow, I think Detroit will be in the lottery again next year. If we don't see Hamilton get traded today I don't think it will happen before the deadline, and I don't see us getting an impact player in the draft that's going to turn things around. I think the team is slightly better than the level they performed at but I still forsee a pick around 10.

A PG like Marquis Teague could be available around then. Depending on Duke's season a big guy like Mason Plumlee could be anywhere from 10-20. We already were looking at Terrence Jones this year so I think next year he'll be in the mix. Tyler Zeller and John Henson should both be there too. Austin Rivers could be in the mix. I want to see if he's more of a PG or SG in college. Something tells me it's more of a SG so I'm not sure how well his game will translate to the NBA because he's undersized for that position. There's going to have to be some PG's that have their stock rise next year. Who that is I'm not sure yet, but right now it looks like everybody in the NBA will be drafting SF, PF's or C's... haha. Teague might be a nice fit here though, another one of those Calipari PG's. He supposed to be better than Brandon Knight....

Kombo

06-23-2011, 12:55 PM

Lamb is a good guess. He was smart to stay in school one more year. It's likely he could even be a lottery pick next year. At first this year he would have been a 2nd rounder, but when everyone pulled out of the draft he probably would've been a late 1st rounder.

There's so much size next year in the draft. I forgot about how much there is. I'd almost rather just go after a PG this year now. Anyhow, I think Detroit will be in the lottery again next year. If we don't see Hamilton get traded today I don't think it will happen before the deadline, and I don't see us getting an impact player in the draft that's going to turn things around. I think the team is slightly better than the level they performed at but I still forsee a pick around 10.

A PG like Marquis Teague could be available around then. Depending on Duke's season a big guy like Mason Plumlee could be anywhere from 10-20. We already were looking at Terrence Jones this year so I think next year he'll be in the mix. Tyler Zeller and John Henson should both be there too. Austin Rivers could be in the mix. I want to see if he's more of a PG or SG in college. Something tells me it's more of a SG so I'm not sure how well his game will translate to the NBA because he's undersized for that position. There's going to have to be some PG's that have their stock rise next year. Who that is I'm not sure yet, but right now it looks like everybody in the NBA will be drafting SF, PF's or C's... haha. Teague might be a nice fit here though, another one of those Calipari PG's. He supposed to be better than Brandon Knight....

Lol I just went to NBADraft.net to look at their 2012 mock. They have Detroit taking Lamb, that makes me feel wildly uncreative now.

I haven't paid too much attention to the HS class that is incoming. So I just went with a guy who seemed to be rising at the end of last year.

Next year should be pretty good though as you have what? 5 or so guys that should have been in this years draft that should go in the lottery next year? At least Barnes, Sullinger and Perry Jones.

Kombo

06-23-2011, 05:45 PM

dd24

06-23-2011, 05:59 PM

Lol I just went to NBADraft.net to look at their 2012 mock. They have Detroit taking Lamb, that makes me feel wildly uncreative now.

I haven't paid too much attention to the HS class that is incoming. So I just went with a guy who seemed to be rising at the end of last year.

Next year should be pretty good though as you have what? 5 or so guys that should have been in this years draft that should go in the lottery next year? At least Barnes, Sullinger and Perry Jones.

I do really like those guys that pulled out of the draft this year. I think it will be nice to have another year in college to evaluate them too. I think there's a lot of talent with the freshman coming in but I don't like their size. So I think they'll be really good in college but I question how some of their games will translate. A 6'5" or 6'6" small forward just isn't what I want on my NBA team. I think a SF should be 6'8" - 6'9". Also there's a lot of 6'9" PF's. You guys know how I feel about those in the NBA, lol. I'll take one for a nice rotation player off the bench but it's near impossible to build a front court around one. Ask the Chicago Bulls about that..... When I look that the PF's who have a chance to win a title (Dirk, Gasol, Amare, Garnett, Bosh, etc) they're all bigger and taller. Size matters. That's why a guy like Anthony Davis projects to be so high next year. Of course he needs to put on some weight to be effective in the NBA too.... He's built a little too much like Austin Daye right now, just with a better post up game and less range. I like a guy like Quincy Miller (who's a freshman) but I think he'll go higher than what the Pistons will have for a pick. Michael Gilchrest can score the ball but this goes back to my size issue.... he's only 6'7" and he's a SF. It's borderline. I just don't see him matching up well against guys like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, etc. Not that a lot of people do but at least a guy like Prince is long enough to give those people troubles. Anway the freshman I do like I think will get drafted before the Pistons will have a pick. I think we'll end up being around 7-10 again.

dd24

06-23-2011, 06:09 PM

Bobcats just thumped ahead of us with the three team trade.

Does this change who might be left at #8?

I think this also stops us from getting a center. Kwame Brown and Diaw front court isn't going to cut it.

I see them going Kanter (super outside shot), Valanciunas, and if these guys aren't around then taking Kemba. Kemba could bring some excitement to a team with potentially the most boring roster in the league.

I like the trade for Milwaukee. Stephen Jackson is more talented than anybody they would have received in this draft. Him, Jennings, and Bogut is a nice core.

I hate the trade for us because that means there no chance of Kanter or Valanciunas falling to us. Of course, most people think Utah is actually going to select Kanter now, which means Cleveland will select Valanciunas with the #4 pick. I think that means the Bobcats probably wanted Biyombo. I'm cool with picking Thompson but at #8 it's a touch high. I think it's in our best interest to trade down now. All we're ending up with is a rotational guy anyhow. May as well stock up on them so we have some more trade pieces that someone might like to go along with Rip.....

Kombo

06-23-2011, 06:17 PM

I do really like those guys that pulled out of the draft this year. I think it will be nice to have another year in college to evaluate them too. I think there's a lot of talent with the freshman coming in but I don't like their size. So I think they'll be really good in college but I question how some of their games will translate. A 6'5" or 6'6" small forward just isn't what I want on my NBA team. I think a SF should be 6'8" - 6'9". Also there's a lot of 6'9" PF's. You guys know how I feel about those in the NBA, lol. I'll take one for a nice rotation player off the bench but it's near impossible to build a front court around one. Ask the Chicago Bulls about that..... When I look that the PF's who have a chance to win a title (Dirk, Gasol, Amare, Garnett, Bosh, etc) they're all bigger and taller. Size matters. That's why a guy like Anthony Davis projects to be so high next year. Of course he needs to put on some weight to be effective in the NBA too.... He's built a little too much like Austin Daye right now, just with a better post up game and less range. I like a guy like Quincy Miller (who's a freshman) but I think he'll go higher than what the Pistons will have for a pick. Michael Gilchrest can score the ball but this goes back to my size issue.... he's only 6'7" and he's a SF. It's borderline. I just don't see him matching up well against guys like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, etc. Not that a lot of people do but at least a guy like Prince is long enough to give those people troubles. Anway the freshman I do like I think will get drafted before the Pistons will have a pick. I think we'll end up being around 7-10 again.

I think I'm overly sympathetic to height most the time. If I had a team, I'd be very comfortable the the Marion's and Gerald Wallace's getting most their minutes at the 4 and Iggy getting his time at the 3 instead of the 2. I wouldn't even want to try Derrick Williams at the 3. Ironically, I don't like small guards (besides Thomas, Joe D and Vinnie of course :P ).

I think my disdain for small guards is that I don't like guys littler than me having so much success when I use height as my coping mechanize for not being a star SF or NFL Quarterback lol...

Kombo

06-23-2011, 06:22 PM

I like the trade for Milwaukee. Stephen Jackson is more talented than anybody they would have received in this draft. Him, Jennings, and Bogut is a nice core.

I hate the trade for us because that means there no chance of Kanter or Valanciunas falling to us. Of course, most people think Utah is actually going to select Kanter now, which means Cleveland will select Valanciunas with the #4 pick. I think that means the Bobcats probably wanted Biyombo. I'm cool with picking Thompson but at #8 it's a touch high. I think it's in our best interest to trade down now. All we're ending up with is a rotational guy anyhow. May as well stock up on them so we have some more trade pieces that someone might like to go along with Rip.....

I think that would be ideal. I mean if the Houston trade works out, who wouldn't prefer any combo of say Donatas Motiejunas, Alec Burks, Jordan Hamilton, Kenneth Faried, etc. over simply Thompson just to throw some names out there.

dd24

06-23-2011, 06:47 PM

I think I'm overly sympathetic to height most the time. If I had a team, I'd be very comfortable the the Marion's and Gerald Wallace's getting most their minutes at the 4 and Iggy getting his time at the 3 instead of the 2. I wouldn't even want to try Derrick Williams at the 3. Ironically, I don't like small guards (besides Thomas, Joe D and Vinnie of course :P ).

I think my disdain for small guards is that I don't like guys littler than me having so much success when I use height as my coping mechanize for not being a star SF or NFL Quarterback lol...

I've actually always like Marion's game. Mainly because he's been such a versatile defender and he hasn't always got the credit he's deserved for it. The thing with him is he's a situational guy now. He's not a full time starter. It really depends on the team they play. He was perfect for that Miami series because they don't have a big man in the middle. So Miami tried to go small ball but the problem is Dallas could do that too. It made so Marion could guard James which is a pretty good matchup. As long as Marion was a starter getting big time minutes he never could get a ring though. I expect the same from Gerald Wallace. They're really good players. I don't want to make anyone think that I think they aren't. It's just when you're putting together a championship team you need big PF's and length in the middle. Look at the difference having Haywood and Chandler in the middle changed things for Dallas. Oh, and they have a 7' PF. Same for the Lakers. A 7' PF and a 7' C. Pretty much the same story for the Celtics. KG and Perkins. If we look back at the Spurs when they were good it was Duncan and a 7' footer next to him. Even if we look at the year the Pistons won it, they had Rasheed at 7', Okur (7'), and Wallace who was 7' with the fro, lol. Big Ben is about the one exception but he really did D up like a true 7 footer. So whenever I look to build a championship team I want a solid PF around 6'10 to 7'. Monroe fits that for us. We need a 7' center. Valanciunus is a guy with a solid back to the basket game who has the frame to put on a bit more muscle. I think he's going to be really solid. I need a SF who can match up with the guys I talked about before. I like my PG to be about 6'3" but with the rules today I'd take a guy who is 6'1" and a special player like a Chris Paul type. SG I think you have to be 6'6" or 6'7". I look at how Rip just used to give people fits with his length. It's how we used to be able to beat up on the Magic and Heat back in the day. Wade was short and Orlando always had a small back court. I look at how Kobe does that same thing to people, or Ray Allen (both at 6'6"). This year was an odd one just because of the matchup with two teams that had small back courts. Wade is the one exception in the league to me at SG, at least as far as offense from an undersized standpoint. He still doesn't play good D as far as I'm concerned. Terry wouldn't have had the success he did against a team with a SG that could D up. That's why when I look at Stuckey playing SG it scares me. He just isn't going to be a guy who can lead a team to a championship at that position. He's not Dwayne Wade. He's a really poor mans D-Wade. He doesn't shoot the lights out from outside like Terry so he can't even be the guy who comes off the bench to hit those outside shots when the big men get double teamed. But at PG he gives opposing teams PG's fits when he's guarding them. He can penetrate and create. The problem with this is since he's the only one on the team that can he's needed to carry the scoring load, rather than distribute the ball. That's given him a bad name. In a perfect world we would have never got BG, Rip wouldn't have been injured, and we would have had a solid back court with Rip and Stuckey and there wouldn't have been any drama......

Overall I look at championship teams and they pretty much all seem to have guys at that height at each position. There's a few that obviously are built slightly different but those are also just freak of nature type guys who don't come around often.

dd24

06-23-2011, 09:29 PM

I was a bit disappointed when Valanciunas didn't slip down but once Knight did I was elated. I quit considering him as the pick a while ago when it appeared he was a top 5 lock. I knew the talent in this draft was at PG too. Like I mentioned before, next year there isn't much for PG's. This year is a good year to select one and then go big next year. Heck I was talking about Walker or Fredette falling.... I think this definitely means there will be changes in the back court in Detroit. Obviously we can quit wondering about Terrico White. We've got Knight, Stuckey, Bynum, Hamilton, and BG so White wouldn't see any chance of cracking the lineup. I would think Hamilton or BG has to go. Maybe they let Stuckey walk but I doubt it. They tendered his contract so I think he'll stay. Stuckey is a bit under sized for SG but a Knight/Stuckey back court is definitely an upgrade. Knight has all kinds of potential so I'm crossing my fingers.

dd24

06-23-2011, 10:39 PM

How did we not just take Jeremy Tyler? We need a big man..... now we have another guy who plays the same position as Daye and Jerebko..... I'm very disappointed in that one. It's not that I don't like Singler. It's just where is this guy supposed to fit in? I would have rolled the dice on a true C.

Kombo

06-23-2011, 11:36 PM

Wow, Brandon Knight. Did not expect him to be there at all. We now have a go to guy in the 4th.

This makes me want to resign Stuckey even more. If BG can find his groove again, Knight-Stuckey-Gordon rotation with some Bynum could be deadly.

I'm not overly excited about Singler. If I was drafting in the second round I'd take a big just about everytime. Chances of them working out is so low, if they do work out I'd rather get a big that can give me 15 a game than a SF. Could be worse though.

dd24

06-24-2011, 12:56 AM

I like that we have our future PG. I'm not sure a back court of Knight/Stuckey or Knight/BG is ideal though. It'll work for the time being. People are now saying since Utah has so many bigs and we have so many guards a Milsap for Rip trade makes sense. Milsap is a hard working gritty kind of guy that Detroit would like. I don't forsee winning any titles with a starting lineup of Knight, Stuckey, Prince, Milsap, Monroe. That sounds like an above average team that will kind of get stuck there for a while.

I don't think Singler will make the team. He'll be in the D-league or overseas. Unless both T-Mac and Prince leave, which with their selections it doesn't seem like they expect that. It seems like Dumars is banking on resigning Prince at this point.

I completely agree about going big in the 2nd round. Tyler was there just like I've wanted all along. That really let me down. I would've been so happy with Knight and Tyler. Nonetheless, I'm really happy Knight slipped down to us. We've lucked out the last two years.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 01:18 AM

Gotta say I like Knight. I had a feeling Biyombo might go in front of us. A lot of teams were trying to downgrade him late IMO. I think Toronto would have snagged him if Cleveland had gone Valanciunas.

I love the idea of Knight and Stuckey in a backcourt. One of Rip or Gordon has to go as soon as possible. Rip for some size in the backcourt would probably be ideal.

I don't love Singler admittedly, but getting a guy who is likely to have some sort of NBA career at 33 isn't so bad. Tyler would have been interesting, but he clearly wasn't as intriguing as some of us thought. I think Honeycutt would have been a STEAL though. Too bad they didn't go for him.

I love the idea of Ben for Jefferson. Both are bad contracts for their respective teams at overcrowded positions. Utah too Burks, but he is a SG/SF hybrid IMO and can't shoot a lick. Ben would be a nice compliment off the bench.

I have always expected Tmac and Prince to both leave, but we don't really have a SF so Prince could be brought back after all. I hope not though. Give Daye the minutes, pick up a veteran back up and sprinkle in some Jerebko and maybe Rip. Something like Maxiell for Dahntay Jones would make me happy. Get a SF with some D skills and clear up our bad PF logjam. I wouldn't expect much impact from a guy like Jones or anything.

dd24

06-24-2011, 02:03 AM

I have always expected Tmac and Prince to both leave, but we don't really have a SF so Prince could be brought back after all. I hope not though. Give Daye the minutes, pick up a veteran back up and sprinkle in some Jerebko and maybe Rip. Something like Maxiell for Dahntay Jones would make me happy. Get a SF with some D skills and clear up our bad PF logjam. I wouldn't expect much impact from a guy like Jones or anything.

I want Tay back, but there's part of me that just wants to see the guy finish out with a winning team too. There's also a part of me that knows if we have Tay we add those few extra wins that keep us from getting that impact player in the lottery too. We're in full rebuilding mode here and I think everyone sees it. The problem is there just aren't SF's out there like Tay. He's just too versatile. I really think Joe D tries to keep him around. The Eastern conference is just too tough at that position (Melo, Lebron, PP, Deng, Jackson) and I just don't see how we can be competitive without someone who can play defense at that spot. I think T-Mac will probably walk to a contender now. Unless there's some kind of trade that completely opens up a spot for him, but I just don't see it. I'd love to trade BG though.

Kombo

06-24-2011, 03:11 AM

dd24

06-24-2011, 03:44 AM

I know you have to throw Bell in there for the salaries but I think it might take a 3rd team. We can't really take back another SG. We already have too many. Millsap is great for fantasy numbers but I just can't see him putting up that good of a fight against Bosh, Boozer, Stoudamire, or KG in the playoffs. Besides Boozer he just gives up too much size.

I think we need to see how Jerebko looks next to Monroe. Let's see how he's rehabilitated and if his game has got any better. I'm not saying he can necessarily keep up with those people I just named either, but at least he's a bit bigger and he doesn't make much money. If we get ourselves tied into another contract we're going to be stuck in mediocrity.

I wonder if Minnesota is interested in any of our pieces for Beasley.... He could be Tay's replacement at SF. I'd rather gamble on him. It's a cheaper contract. Maybe we could try to get Beasley and Randolph. Give up BG. They'd have Rubio, BG, Williams, Love, Millicic. That's the best lineup they would have had in years. We'd have Randolph who has shown signs of being very good. He might compliment Monroe nicely. Beasley is a guy who can put up 20 on any given night. Then next year in the draft there's a ton of PF's we could go after. We'd have a ton of young talent, kind of like the Thunder built their team.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 02:18 PM

I want Tay back, but there's part of me that just wants to see the guy finish out with a winning team too. There's also a part of me that knows if we have Tay we add those few extra wins that keep us from getting that impact player in the lottery too. We're in full rebuilding mode here and I think everyone sees it. The problem is there just aren't SF's out there like Tay. He's just too versatile. I really think Joe D tries to keep him around. The Eastern conference is just too tough at that position (Melo, Lebron, PP, Deng, Jackson) and I just don't see how we can be competitive without someone who can play defense at that spot. I think T-Mac will probably walk to a contender now. Unless there's some kind of trade that completely opens up a spot for him, but I just don't see it. I'd love to trade BG though.

Tay has always gotten killed by those guys you mentioned, but anyone else on the roster will get killed more. Keeping him may be the mvoe to make. Knight,Stuckey,Tay,Jerebko,Monroe with a bench of Bynum,Gordon/Rip,Daye,Charlie/Max and hopefully a new backup C like Fesenko isn't the worst roster.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 02:20 PM

I'd be calling Utah right now to see if they are interested in a Gordon or Hamilton for Millsap and Bell now that they have Kanter, Okur, Jefferson, Favors, and Millsap.

Harris
Burks (Gordon)
Hayward
Jefferson (Favors)
Kanter (Okur)

Could be pretty good.

I'd love to do that deal. Or get Jefferson who I feel they are not that fond of, but is worth the gamble for us. Gordon and maybe a future pick or something for Jefferson isn't so bad. I hear a lot that Utah feels Al is kind of in the way of Milsap,FAvors and Kanter. Plus Okur may be back. Milsap/Bell is fine too though. Then amnesty Charlie or Max

Actually DD, sending out Gordon in the deal, Bell wouldn't be so bad to have as depth and veteran leadership at SG and SF. He'd be 3rd string at both spots,so he wouldn't interfere with the rotation. You could always just waive him and buy him out too. If thats what it takes to make the deal work, so be it.

Also I see Milsap as a bench guy for us, behind Monroe and JJ. We would need some bench scoring and especially post scoring. He does NOt have to go head to head with Amare and co and win. Nobody we have can do that.

dd24

06-24-2011, 02:56 PM

I'd love to do that deal. Or get Jefferson who I feel they are not that fond of, but is worth the gamble for us. Gordon and maybe a future pick or something for Jefferson isn't so bad. I hear a lot that Utah feels Al is kind of in the way of Milsap,FAvors and Kanter. Plus Okur may be back. Milsap/Bell is fine too though. Then amnesty Charlie or Max

Actually DD, sending out Gordon in the deal, Bell wouldn't be so bad to have as depth and veteran leadership at SG and SF. He'd be 3rd string at both spots,so he wouldn't interfere with the rotation. You could always just waive him and buy him out too. If thats what it takes to make the deal work, so be it.

Also I see Milsap as a bench guy for us, behind Monroe and JJ. We would need some bench scoring and especially post scoring. He does NOt have to go head to head with Amare and co and win. Nobody we have can do that.

I'd rather see Jefferson, but I don't see them parting with him. I do agree about Milsap. I see him as more of a 6th man too. The problem is he makes a starters salary. It's the same problem we have with BG's contract.

Kombo

06-24-2011, 03:04 PM

I'd love to do that deal. Or get Jefferson who I feel they are not that fond of, but is worth the gamble for us. Gordon and maybe a future pick or something for Jefferson isn't so bad. I hear a lot that Utah feels Al is kind of in the way of Milsap,FAvors and Kanter. Plus Okur may be back. Milsap/Bell is fine too though. Then amnesty Charlie or Max

Actually DD, sending out Gordon in the deal, Bell wouldn't be so bad to have as depth and veteran leadership at SG and SF. He'd be 3rd string at both spots,so he wouldn't interfere with the rotation. You could always just waive him and buy him out too. If thats what it takes to make the deal work, so be it.

Also I see Milsap as a bench guy for us, behind Monroe and JJ. We would need some bench scoring and especially post scoring. He does NOt have to go head to head with Amare and co and win. Nobody we have can do that.

I think now I was being a little modest about going after Millsap. I saw him as a good backup as well, and an easier to move contract for future moves.

Looking at what the Jazz fans have been saying, I don't think Jefferson is out of the question. They seem to want to move Okur too, but if I was Utah I'd keep him around for his final year for Kanter and then let him expire.

Gordon and a lottery protected pick in 2012 for Jefferson would make me ecstatic. If they were interested I'd prefer to do Daye instead of a pick and then keep Tayshaun.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 03:39 PM

I'd rather see Jefferson, but I don't see them parting with him. I do agree about Milsap. I see him as more of a 6th man too. The problem is he makes a starters salary. It's the same problem we have with BG's contract.

His salary isn't really that much and I have no issue with payign a good bench guy.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 03:41 PM

dd24

06-24-2011, 04:21 PM

I think now I was being a little modest about going after Millsap. I saw him as a good backup as well, and an easier to move contract for future moves.

Looking at what the Jazz fans have been saying, I don't think Jefferson is out of the question. They seem to want to move Okur too, but if I was Utah I'd keep him around for his final year for Kanter and then let him expire.

Gordon and a lottery protected pick in 2012 for Jefferson would make me ecstatic. If they were interested I'd prefer to do Daye instead of a pick and then keep Tayshaun.

The draft is so deep next year you can't give up a 1st round pick. There's just too much talent there. We'd be far better off giving up Daye. I'd much rather have Jefferson though. If Okur could stay healthy he would be my choice. The problem is I don't ever see him playing a full season again. Jefferson is a good scorer and that's something we could use in the paint. If they're willing to let him go I'd take him.

dd24

06-24-2011, 04:24 PM

Speaking of Jeffersons, woudl anyone take on Richard Jefferson? not a great player, but a little stronger and more athletic than Tay and it would be cheaper to trade Rip for Jefferson and let tay walk than to keep Rip,tAy and Gordon. SA might want to start Leonard at the 3 and dump that contract. They shave a year if they keep Rip and they are looking for a guy who can play some 2 and 3 and shoot/score from what I hear. Someone to help Ginobili.

I have no interest in that contract. I think we'd be better off finding a wing player in next years draft or trying to trade for Beasley. The thing with Minnesota is they really are forced to make a trade. They drafted Johnson last year, then traded for Beasley, then drafted Williams this year. They can't keep them all and Beasley is the one that has to go. I think he still has a lot of upside. We've seen he can put the ball in the bucket. I think we can lock him up on the wing and then get another big man next year in the draft.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 06:09 PM

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 06:15 PM

The draft is so deep next year you can't give up a 1st round pick. There's just too much talent there. We'd be far better off giving up Daye. I'd much rather have Jefferson though. If Okur could stay healthy he would be my choice. The problem is I don't ever see him playing a full season again. Jefferson is a good scorer and that's something we could use in the paint. If they're willing to let him go I'd take him.

He said lottery protected. Next year's draft isn't anything special post lottery necessarily. Its tremendously overrated overall really. It has Barnes and Davis, 2 elite talents in Barnes and Davis. After that, who konws. It is not some monumentally special draft by any means. Why would it be in your opinion? Because P.Jones, T.Jones and Sullinger went back to school????? None of those guys are anything special. The first 2 have amazing potential, but also are complete character risks who have failed to live up to their potential. Sullinger is what he is, a Paul Milsap type, an undersized scoring 4 who can't play D. None of them are better than any of the lottery guys this year. I'll take Chris Singleton and Kawhil Leonard over the Jones' any day of the week.

If some guys like Teague and Mcadoo live up to their potential, it could be a good draft, but only Davis is an upgrade on tihs year's draft. Barnes is not a better prospect than D.Williams or Kyrie.

dd24

06-24-2011, 10:41 PM

Trust me, they have no interest in giving up a promising young talent for Ben Gordon and his contract. Of course I'd take a deal like that if it was at all possible. And to throw in Randolph too? Minny needs to make trades, but not bad trades.

I think you are being illogical in regards to RJ. Sure, he's not a good contract, but we are not going to get a good contract for Rip or Gordon. Bottom line is, if we have to have a bad contract, I'd prefer a SF to a SG right now, especially since he and Rip are similar caliber players.

The problem is Minnesota will have to give up someone else with Beasley. Detroit wouldn't want a SG. Beasley is still on a rookie contract and makes like 5 million per season. I think Minnesota might have some trade exceptions though. That's why I through Randolphs name out there. I was guessing Darko probably wouldn't want to come back to Detroit :oldlol: Besides, Minnesota makes plenty of bad moves anyhow.

dd24

06-24-2011, 10:51 PM

He said lottery protected. Next year's draft isn't anything special post lottery necessarily. Its tremendously overrated overall really. It has Barnes and Davis, 2 elite talents in Barnes and Davis. After that, who konws. It is not some monumentally special draft by any means. Why would it be in your opinion? Because P.Jones, T.Jones and Sullinger went back to school????? None of those guys are anything special. The first 2 have amazing potential, but also are complete character risks who have failed to live up to their potential. Sullinger is what he is, a Paul Milsap type, an undersized scoring 4 who can't play D. None of them are better than any of the lottery guys this year. I'll take Chris Singleton and Kawhil Leonard over the Jones' any day of the week.

If some guys like Teague and Mcadoo live up to their potential, it could be a good draft, but only Davis is an upgrade on tihs year's draft. Barnes is not a better prospect than D.Williams or Kyrie.

Leonard is nothing special to me. I don't think he'll be that great in the NBA. He's a rotational player.

I think you'll see after watching some college basketball next year that this draft class is really really good. There's a lot of people saying this could be the best one we've seen in a long time (since the 03 draft, of course without a guy like Lebron). Even if it's close to what 03 was we don't want to miss that.

Perry Jones does have a chance to be a special player but don't forget Baylor has a guy who's supposed to be even better than him coming in, Quincy Miller. I think Barnes had a chance to be the #1 pick this year. It's tough to say whether he'll end up better than Irving or Williams. Sullinger does remind me of Big Baby Davis. That's not necessarily a bad thing as many of the PF's in this draft won't end up even that good. Austin Rivers, Michael Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Bradley Beal, Marquis Teague, John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Anthony Davis, and the list goes on. There's a reason you won't see near as many overseas guys drafted next year. They know it's a deep draft and they'll have a hard time getting drafted. There's for sure always a couple of people that we haven't heard of that will make a name for themselves too.

Nastradamus

06-24-2011, 11:15 PM

There is potential, but people always like the next draft and hate the current one, other than the Lebron draft maybe. Literally every year. So I feel you have to temper the expectations. Some guys may stay in school like what happened last year. I don't think guys like Henson or Zeller go before the 20s this year, so not all of those guys are exactly amazing. Some guys may show flaws that were previously unrealized. It does have some exciting potential right now though.

I like some of the players in next years draft, but with where the Pistons are likely to be slated, I wouldn't put any special value on it over your average year. I'm done with rebuilding. If we can bring in a veteran starter while dumping a SG and we have to give up a 1st to close the deal, I give it up in an instant personally.

I'm not in love with Leonard. I see him about halfway between Ariza and G.Wallace. Good starter for 10 years, maybe never an All Star. Not going to create offense much or anything IMO. However, SA obviously values him and I tihnk its clear they're willing to dump Jefferson.

dd24

06-25-2011, 05:00 AM

I've always tried to judge the draft for the talent it has. Everybody tried to say 2009 was a bad draft (outside of Griffin) and I didn't believe that for a second. I'm the guy who edges out a first place in my fantasy leagues just by the couple of rookies I grab. I knew Tyreke and Stephen would be good. I'm the guy who grabbed them before the season started and people thought I was crazy. I'm not trying to compare fantasy bball to the court, but I just want to make the point that I'm not the guy who thinks the next draft is always better. You can bookmark the thread, and refer back to it if you want. I'm certain next years draft will produce not just more all-stars but more good players in the league. This years draft was about PG's outside of the top 4 or 5 guys. I'll give that to this draft class, there's some nice PG's. I can't remember the last time a great PG won a championshp though.... This year, Jason Kidd was far out of his prime. The previous two years, Fisher was getting killed by younger PG's. Before that Rondo was a rookie who was learning the ropes. The year before that was white chocolate even considered elite, ever? Good but not one of the best....

I think it's awesome we have a good PG now. It was one of the guys I had my eye one. Next year will be more of an overall draft. I'm sure you see the importance of having extremely good players at other positions. We have Monroe, we need a top flight SF or PF. It's not coming through a trade or free agency. Whatever happens there will be another good player. If you watch the Joe D & Tom Gores videos it seems to make more sense. Gores seems to think he can just put a team together that will contend. Joe D doesn't want him to announce that to the public yet. He knows it's going to take a bit more. I'm all about Gores enthusiasm. I'm more about Joe D doing the right thing, which he has again with the draft. He's also specifically said he wants to put more young pieces around this core (which means not trading for veterans). Let's give him one more (excellent) draft before we're impatient. The 2012 draft is the one that can turn us around. Free agency isn't going to work for us. The draft is our friend.

Nastradamus

06-26-2011, 02:50 PM

I think we feel teh same way on drafts. I just think that I will grade next year's draft when I get there. Who's in, who's out, who's improved, who's a lazy/characterrisk. No doubt it has potential to be studly. This one appears to have ended up a lot better than expected.

I also came here to say, I think Singler is going to be an even better player than I first expected. He had such an awful shooting year this past season, but he was near 40% from 3 the 2 years prior. With his toughness, BB IQ, rebounding and passing, if he can learn to knock down open 3s, he'll be super valuable. Its the anti Dejuan SUmmers pick I suppose.

dd24

06-26-2011, 03:48 PM

True, Summers is more than likely on his way out. I never understood that guy. He was one of the best athletes on the floor in practices and summer leagues. Then once the season came around he was just a different player. At least Singler can hit a shot from the top of a building :D

dd24

06-28-2011, 01:55 PM

For those who are doubting Harrinson Barnes.....

An NBA scout gushing over UNC's Harrison Barnes battling KDurant at Chicago camp last night. "Top pick in the next draft -- by far," he says. Twitter

dealer77

06-28-2011, 03:17 PM

if that's really the case about barnes, then our mission is clear. get PT for the rooks and young players and don't be afraid to tank :D

dd24

06-28-2011, 10:16 PM

if that's really the case about barnes, then our mission is clear. get PT for the rooks and young players and don't be afraid to tank :D

I want to see the young guys get the chance to carry the bulk of the load anyhow. We need to see if some of these guys have what it takes to make it in the league. Even the 2nd or third pick next year will be very nice :oldlol:

Nastradamus

06-28-2011, 11:22 PM

I sure would love Barnes. KD is the type of palyer Barnes could be at his ceiling.

Depending on team, Davis is certainly in competition for that 1 spot though. Nobody else probably. I'd have a hell of a time making the call for Detroit, but would probably prefer Davis next to Monroe assuming the overall grade is equal. People talk about Davis like he can be the next KG.

dd24

06-28-2011, 11:39 PM

Yeah, so far it's Davis & Barnes that look like the top 2 prospects. Of course much can change over a season. I really want to see Davis play at the collegiate level. His ceiling is like what you mentioned Nastradamus. He is a bit lanky though and that could go bad for him too. He kind of has an Austin Daye type build, which is a bit scary for the PF position in the NBA. The thing with Davis is he is a more physical player and he does look like he'll fill out a bit.

A lot depends on whether we keep Tay or not too. There's a bunch of stud SF's in next years draft, especially right at the top. Perry Jones and Quincy Miller are there and then you have guys like Michael Gilchrest, Adonis Thomas, and Terrence Jones too. There's a part of me that thinks Tay might walk and we might end up drafting a SF next year. I'd like to see us make a trade that brings us another first round pick next year. Imagine getting one of those SF's and a big man (because there's a lot of those too). One things for sure next year, we won't have to worry about European players that could be busts :D I'm glad we got our PG this year too, because next year there won't be as many. We can focus on those other positions and potentially add a star player and have guys like Jerebko, Daye, and BG (maybe) coming off the bench and end up being a really deep team. We need to trade for draft picks and not players that just get us a few more wins but not to the next level.

Nastradamus

06-29-2011, 11:09 AM

Davis will need to add strength but I do'nt worry about him. He seems to have KG's intensity as well as his talent. His work ethic is right. We certainly will need a SF too(though I don't really like either Jones), but if I have the choice I probably take the elite big.

dd24

02-23-2012, 09:36 PM

I gotta admit, I wasn't very high on Bismack when the draft was going on..... but he's been playing pretty good for Charlotte. He looks like he's going to be a pretty decent big man. I still like Knight better, but Bismack would have been a good match with Monroe.

idizzle

05-28-2012, 10:31 PM

http://detroitsports360.com/2012-nba-draft-andre-drummond-michael-kidd-gilchrist-benefit-pistons/

Aussie Dunker

05-31-2012, 03:25 AM

No way either Drummond or MKG will be available at #9, i'd be surprised if either of them made it past #6

dd24

05-31-2012, 11:28 AM

With the league being rigged and NO getting that top pick it does change things. I don't see Drummond being available either. There's a lot that will happen over the next few weeks though. There's certainly going to be a player who really impresses scouts and GM's in the upcoming workouts. Someone will knock another player out of the top 10.

idizzle

05-31-2012, 07:34 PM

Joe Dumars loves length and John Henson is sort of a Anthony Davis light in the length category. Pairing Henson with Monroe would be interesting as their skills would likely mesh well. *********

dd24

05-31-2012, 10:04 PM

I saw that one in the rumors today too. It really does feel like it's Henson or Jones at this point.

Aussie Dunker

06-01-2012, 03:27 AM

Perry is going to anger me one way or another, if we draft him he won't produce, and if we leave him, he will beast! haha...

I like Henson the best, him and Monroe are perfectly suited to play side by side. I also think Henson has more upside than many people believe...

dd24

06-01-2012, 05:28 AM

Right now I'm really crossing my fingers. We need to see workouts, as I've mentioned before. Also, if the Pistons miss on this one it's gonna hurt us for another couple years. We're farther off than just this draft.....

dd24

06-03-2012, 12:10 AM

el gringos

06-04-2012, 01:42 AM

I'm not big on the 2nd round prospects of the draft this year. I think there's a few PG's who could be decent. The problem is we don't really need a PG, lol. There's a lot that think Dramond Green will go at the begining of the 2nd round. It would be a dream if someone like him could fall to us. I like Tyshawn Taylor and Tony Wroten for 2nd round prospects. Although, I will say this... college basketball on the west coast really sucked this year. The teams were really bad. So taking a guy from a conference like the Pac 12 would scare me a bit. Anyway around it, 2nd rounders hardly even make it in the NBA. Everybody keeps talking like they want Singler on the team next year and to me it makes no difference. He's not going to save the Pistons and no 2nd rounder is going to. We need whoever we take at 9 to be a big help for us.
Tony Wroten and Jared Cunningham both from the pac 10 are the two best pg's in this draft. They will make someone drafting kendall marshall off espn look really stupid. The idea of Wroten going in the 2nd round is funny but wont happen. Weird how Lillard (who close to nobody on ish has ever seen play) gets propped up so high but Wroten and Cunningham are not even talked about

dd24

06-04-2012, 03:14 AM

I don't think they're the two best. Marshall is definitely the best PG prospect in this draft. I think they're two of the better ones but there's not really a bunch of good PG's in this draft. There's a bunch of good big men so that's why I think there's a chance they could slide into the 2nd round. Plus playing in the conference they did really hurt their draft stock. West coast college bball was horrible this year. UCLA will be back with a solid team next year though and that should give a little more spotlight to some of the talent out there.

idizzle

06-07-2012, 08:52 PM

The Detroit Pistons don't have guards at the top of their NBA Draft wish list, but with a pair of second-round picks that don't get the same attention as the No. 9 overall pick, players like Scott Machado and Jared Cunningham come into play. Booth Newspapers

Cunningham smiled when asked what he recalled most about his workout with the Pistons. "Just getting to meet Joe Dumars and Scott Perry, they're great people, great guys," he said, referring to the Pistons' top two personnel men. "A lot of good feedback that I heard from them. It was a great time." Booth Newspapers

dd24

06-12-2012, 02:34 PM

Just saw this today....

[QUOTE]Two sources tell me that Leonard is quickly becoming the third most coveted big man in the draft, and he zoomed past UNC

dd24

06-12-2012, 02:40 PM

I'm guessing we're not going to draft Perry Jones either:

[QUOTE]When all was said and done Monday, neither Baylor

SourPatchKids

06-18-2012, 03:47 AM

MKG/Thomas Robinson could potentially be a good fit.

SourPatchKids

06-18-2012, 03:50 AM

oh wait im retarted tgey have 9th pick.

Aussie Dunker

06-20-2012, 08:49 PM

After doing some more assessing, if Drummond slips to #9, we have to take him, if he doesn't make it to us, I say we select Henson, perfect compliment to Monroe... Then we get him to have private workouts with ben wallace to beef him up a little... Remember big ben wasn't always "big ben". Work ethic and determination got him where he is, hopefully can help Henson do the same if we end up drafting him...

dd24

06-20-2012, 11:21 PM

I'm certain if by some miracle Drummond fell to #9 the Pistons would take him. I really don't see him falling that far. He could go as high as #2. Almost every team drafting before us has an interest in him. Everybody keeps thinking Sacramento would draft him but it just doesn't make sense having him and Cousins down low together in my opinion. They need a real SF or someone who is more of a PF than a C.

This really looks like it's going to be a very deep draft. There's more than one player I wouldn't mind. I like a lot of the bigs in this draft.

Aussie Dunker

06-22-2012, 02:01 AM

Yeah Drummond won't fall to us despite a lot of questions on his motor / ethic. he was #10 in a mock I saw yesterday, can't see him going past #6

Would love 2 picks in the top 15 this year

dd24

06-22-2012, 02:20 AM

I just read today that Robinson crushed Drummond in their workout for the Bobcats. I know Charlotte was thinking about drafting him but apparently not anymore. I guess that adds a question mark to Drummond. Maybe he just wasn't trying, or maybe he just has some learning to do yet.

Aussie Dunker

06-22-2012, 03:31 AM

I think it is a combination of Robinson is just that DAMN good, and Drummond perhaps being a bit of a project player, Kind of like Bynum when he was drafted...

dd24

06-22-2012, 10:21 AM

I'd lean more toward Drummond being a project. I think it'll be a few years before he's really ready to help a team. Robinson will be a decent player, but he's so under sized that it scares me. I can see why Jordan will have a hard time making that #2 pick. It's probably the worst pick to have in the draft, lol.

Aussie Dunker

06-22-2012, 12:23 PM

I think him being undersized is a bit overhyped. He is the same size as Kevin Love, David West and Al Horford... I think he is perfect size for todays PF. His work ethic should erase any size issue (if there even is one)...

dd24

06-22-2012, 12:39 PM

He's slightly smaller than those guys. I'm not saying he's going to be a bad player, but I just don't see him being a starter on a championship team. He's really like 6'7" or 6'8". That's just too small.

Aussie Dunker

06-22-2012, 09:11 PM

I'v heard 6'9?... 245 pounds... If this is the case, then my comment stands true. If he is indeed 6'7 / 6'8, then yes he will be undersizeed like you say..

Robisnons skill / passion / ethic in Drummonds body... Imagine that

dd24

06-22-2012, 10:03 PM

That would be a C who would probably end up being the best in the league right now. Yeah, at the draft combine in Chicago they measured everybody with and without shoes. If I remember correctly Robinson was 6'75". Shoes typically add about 1"-1.5". Sullinger was only 6'8" I think.

Aussie Dunker

06-22-2012, 11:30 PM

What's Robinson's wingspan like? I know Sullinger has a terribly short wingspan... That is another reason I like Henson at #9, wingspan is 7'6!! That is an inch bigger than Dwight, an inch bigger than Bynum, and an inch bigger than anthony Davis even...

dd24

06-23-2012, 12:56 AM

I believe Robinson has a good wingspan. Slightly over 7'

idizzle

06-24-2012, 08:18 PM

The Pistons are hoping UConn center Andre Drummond drops to them at No. 9, but it's highly unlikely he makes it that far. It sounds like they're set on North Carolina power forward John Henson (6-10 1/2, 216). He was just 183 pounds when he showed up at Chapel Hill. News-Herald

dd24

06-24-2012, 09:06 PM

Unless teams are just trying to downplay his talent hoping that he'll drop to him in the draft everything I'm reading about Drummond the past few days is bad. At first I would have loved to see him drop to #9 so the Pistons could grab. Now it's starting to look like he might be the next Kwame Brown of the league.... He's definitely a project C. He won't be able to contribute much right away. His offensive game isn't really polished. Most are saying he'll be the biggest bust of the draft. Apparently his workouts haven't been going well lately.

Nastradamus

06-27-2012, 05:48 PM

Couple points.

Sullinger has a plus wingspan actually

Robinson was 6'7.75 without shoes, 6'8.75 with. So he's close to 6'9 on gameday. Thing is, when you hear an NBA player is 6'9, its generally his in shoes measurement. Robinson is right there with most PFs in height and he has a plus wingspan, work ethic and athleticism.

A lot of teams regretted letting Bynum slip to 9 when he wasn't ready yet.

dd24

06-27-2012, 07:09 PM

What's everybody's fixation with 6'9" PF's? I've said it for years, I don't want a 6'9" PF trying to get my team to a championship. Even the Bulls have learned they need to play Gibson over Boozer in the playoffs against the bigger guys. Look at the last teams that have won championships. Who were their PF's? Bosh, Gasol, Garnett, Duncan, and even Rahseed Wallace.... what do they all have in common? Size. They are big PF's. Heck even when Miami won in 06 they had Shaq and Zo down low. You need to have size fellas!!!!

You can't draft a guy like Sullinger and expect any more than a guy who can possibly help off the bench. You also have to figure he's going to have injury problems eventually. The past 3-4 years there's people on this board that want us to draft the 6'9" guy with a lottery pick. Every year I make this arguement and every year that 6'9" guy is nothing more than a role player at best. Luckily I won't have to worry about Joe D making this mistake this year so I don't even see it as a debate. There's no way the Pistons draft Sullinger at #9 tomorrow. If Joe D does that he should be fired.